Until the End of Time
by vinkunwildflowerqueen
Summary: Elphaba is ready for the next great epoch of her life- Shiz University. When a stack of old, forgotten letters from a hundred years ago is discovered on campus, unraveling the mystery behind them will impact her and her relationships more than she could have expected. Sequel to LIFE'S EPOCHS. Musicalverse. AU Shiz-era. Fiyeraba. Frexalie. #UtEoT
1. Chapter 01

**Until the End of Time**

 **By Vinkunwildflowerqueen**

 **AN. Fun Fact: This story was actually inspired by a _Mad About You_ episode! **

**This is the 100th FANFIC that I'm posting. Which is _crazy_. This is also the longest fic I've ever written (over 160 000 words) and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

**Chapter 1**

It was a sweltering hot August day, and Elphaba almost regretted leaving the dressmaker's shop, although it was no cooler inside than outside. The air was thick and still, there was not even a hint of a breeze to filter the scorching heat. The radio had said that morning that it was forecast to be the hottest August day in fifteen years.

The clock that perched about City Hall struck twelve as Elphaba locked the door behind her, making sure the sign proclaiming her return in an hour's time was firmly in place.

She mounted her bicycle and cycled through the village square, noting there seemed less people about than usual for a Wednesday lunchtime. It seemed Munchkins were staying indoors where possible, which seemed like a smart idea to her.

Elphaba arrived at _The Apple Blossom_ café, locked up her bicycle and entered, sighing with relief as a wave of cooler air met her from the ceiling fans. She glanced around briefly, noting the many empty tables, before she headed directly to the table at the back that she had sat at every week for the past eleven years.

"Hi, Papa," she greeted her father, sitting down.

Frex looked up from the menu in his hand with a smile. "There you are."

"Sorry," she apologised. "I got caught up on work and lost track of time. Have you been waiting long?"

"Not at all. Have you been busy?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Not really. Just trying to stay busy to distract myself from the heat. I'm so worried about sweating all over the fabric," she complained. "But Miss Shyla still refuses to do anything about it. All I have is that tiny window that barely opens further than an inch."

Frex frowned. "I don't like you working in these conditions," he said, not for the first time.

Elphaba shrugged, her gaze turning to her own menu. "It doesn't matter. It's only for another week," she reminded him.

Frex smiled, but rather sadly. "And then you'll be gone."

Elphaba's expression was sympathetic, but she also couldn't hide her excitement. In a little more than a week, _finally,_ Elphaba would be on her way to Shiz University.

She'd been dreaming of going to Shiz since she'd been eleven years old, and it had taken a bit longer than she'd expected to get there, although admittedly due to reasons of her own choosing.

It had been five years ago when Elphaba had overheard Frex and her stepmother, Annalie, discussing the prospect of whether Frex would run for another term of Governor in the next election. Elphaba had been fifteen at the time, and typically, had surprised her parents with her response.

"I want to pay my own way to college," she'd announced to them.

Frex and Annalie had been flabbergast. "But… _why?"_ Annalie had replied.

Elphaba had a very good reason. Or rather, two very good reasons.

One being Nessarose. The other, being their younger brother.

Tomaz had only been three at the time of this conversation. A chubby cheeked, ridiculously energetic little boy who was adored by both his older sisters.

"If you retire from government, can you afford to put three kids through college?" Elphaba had asked Frex bluntly. "What would you even do?"

Frex looked faintly amused. "I _do_ have a Law degree, Elphaba. And I'd have a pension. We wouldn't exactly be destitute."

"But you never practiced as a lawyer," Elphaba countered. "Nessa can't really help out financially, but I can."

Frex hadn't been keen on the idea at first, but Annalie had talked him around, and finally they had reached a compromise. Elphaba could contribute a certain percent of her tuition, but Frex and Annalie would pay the rest.

At first, while she was still in school, Elphaba had only worked weekends and summers in the local bookstore. But once she had graduated, she had gotten a job at the local dressmakers, thanks to the skills Annalie had taught her as a child and a reference from Annalie's godmother- a respected dressmaker in Glikkun.

Frex had ultimately decided to take another term, which he had won. Even now he was in the process of preparing for yet another election that was coming in November. He'd told both Annalie and Elphaba that _this_ would be his last term, but they were both certain that wouldn't be the case, unless he was voted out of office.

Now, at long last, the money was saved and Elphaba would be starting Shiz University in the fall. The timing also worked out so that she would be attending at the same time as Nessa, which both sisters were rather glad about.

Nessa had a personal nurse and caregiver, Xia, who would be accompanying her to assist her everyday needs; but it wasn't quite the same as having a friend with her. Xia was only a few years older than Elphaba and had been working with Nessa for three years now. Although she was more than competent at caring for Nessa, Elphaba had never really been able to shake off the need to look after her sister. It was a comfort to both sisters that they would have each other at Shiz.

The only thing Elphaba was not looking forward to about Shiz, was leaving behind her family. She'd miss Annalie dearly, and she couldn't imagine not seeing Tomaz every day; but leaving her father and foregoing their tradition of weekly lunches was another matter.

Once upon a time, that thought would have been a completely foreign concept. But it was now hard to imagine there was a time when Elphaba and Frex weren't close. For his part, Frex could only marvel at the intelligent, strong, confident woman that his eldest daughter had become.

When Annalie had first arrived at the Thropp household, it had been obvious to all of Munchkinland that Frex doted on Nessarose and barely seemed to tolerate Elphaba's existence. Yet now, Annalie liked to tease her husband that it was the worst kept secret in Munchkinland that Elphaba was her father's favourite child. Which was not exactly true, although bond between Elphaba and Frex differed from that of her siblings.

"It will be a _little_ hard to meet for lunch between here and Shiz," Elphaba said to Frex now, unable to refute that fact. "But Nessa and I will write home as much as we can," she promised.

"You'll both be far too busy to write home," Frex smiled, recalling his own university days.

They ordered their lunch, which was pretty much the same thing they ordered every week, chatting briefly about their mornings while they waited for their food to arrive.

"Your light was on late last night," Frex noted as they ate. "Were you working or writing?"

Elphaba decided not to point out that if he had seen her light on, he too must have been up. "Writing. I had an idea and had to re-write chapter twelve."

Frex raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were on chapter fifteen. Didn't I read that only last week?"

"Yes, but this will be better," Elphaba nodded. "It'll bridge the gap between Milosh and Tarina, and flow so much better."

Her father simply shook his head. "At this rate, you'll never finish it."

"It'll be finished when it's right," Elphaba said simply.

Elphaba had been writing since she was ten, mostly short stories. She'd won a Munchkinland writing contest at sixteen and had her story printed in _The Munchkinland Post_ , but other than that, most people were unaware that she wrote.

She had been working consistently on a novel (currently untitled) _,_ since the summer after she'd finished school. That had been three years ago.

Elphaba was fiercely protective of her novel. Only Frex and Annalie had read parts of it- and only when Elphaba either deemed them worthy or was seeking a critical eye. Even Nessa only knew a few vague details of the story but had seen nothing of it. Tomaz was much too busy being a nine-year-old boy to be much concerned with what his sister was writing.

"Your work is good, Fabala," Frex said gently.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You have to say that, you're my father," she muttered. "Anyway, the professors at Shiz may disagree with you."

Deciding what to study at Shiz had been a whole other battle for Elphaba, and a non-monetary reason for the delay in her enrolment. She'd been torn between her interest in Law, and her passion for her writing.

"What's to stop you from doing both?" Annalie had ultimately suggested to her.

So, she would do both.

Nessa hadn't found it nearly as difficult to decide what to study. While Frex had once harboured hopes that Nessarose would follow in his footsteps as Governor, he had let those hopes go when she was young enough that she was freely able to decide what she wanted to do with her life. Nessa had always been interested in art and she was going to major in Art History, with a minor in a study of the Evian language. Nessa had a dream of one day being the curator of a grand Art museum (well, grand by Munchkinland's standards) and Ev had the richest art culture outside of Oz. Plus, she'd told Annalie and Frex, it was always a good idea to know another language.

"Are Ottah and the family coming for dinner on Friday night?" Frex asked her as they ate.

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah, Melia came into the store to pick up a dress, and she said they'd be there. I don't really think it's necessary though."

Frex smiled gently. "Let Anna have this. She's going to miss you girls, and she's immensely proud of you both. We both are."

Annalie had insisted on throwing a going away party for the girls, but Frex and Elphaba had talked her down to a dinner instead. Nikita and Akio were attending, as was their youngest son Ottah with his wife and two boys, whom Elphaba adored. Annalie's best friend in Munchkinland, Ismene Alwyn (formerly Ismene Fairchild) would also attend with her husband and daughters, and a few of Nessa's classmates from school were coming too.

A lot had changed in ten years, but Elphaba's lack of friends wasn't one of them. Ottah was more like a big brother- an annoying big brother at that, and Melia was always friendly and warm, but they weren't close. She wasn't a friend. Even if she _did_ have any friends in Munchkinland, most of them would have graduated university by now anyway, and she would have felt ridiculous inviting them.

Elphaba knew what Munchkins said about her, even now. It was far less toxic than it had been when she was a child, but to some Munchkins, Elphaba would always remain "the weird green girl". There had been rumours that she hadn't been accepted into university, or that her parents had had to bribe them to accept her, that she had been on the wait list for years and had only now been given a place.

But they didn't bother her as they once might have. Elphaba knew the truth and Frex and Annalie had both told her many times that they were proud of her for paying her own way.

If Elphaba had gone to Shiz straight from school, she would have graduated in the spring. But she rather thought she preferred to be sharing the experience with her sister, and it guaranteed at least one friendly face around campus.

"You know Nessa's already packed?" Elphaba said to Frex. "She's so excited."

"I'm not surprised Nessa's packed, but rather surprised you're not," Frex chuckled.

Elphaba figured that was fair. "I've got a list made up. Everything that was on the list the administration office sent out, and a few personal things I want to take. But I'm having trouble narrowing the list of books, I don't know how much room I'll have in the dorm."

"You'll have a whole library to explore," Frex reminded her. "I would just pick your favourites to take. If you find you _really_ need a book that the Shiz library doesn't have, we can always send it to you."

"That's true," Elphaba had to admit, albeit reluctantly.

If she could, she'd take all her books with her, and they both knew it.

"Is your afternoon busy?" she asked him. "When's your last meeting of the day?"

"Not too bad. I'm meeting with the budget committee at four, but hopefully that shouldn't take long. Why?"

"Did you want to go to the cemetery before or after dinner?"

"Let's go after," Frex decided. "It may be cooler than."

Elphaba nodded in agreement.

It was a custom now, that Frex and Elphaba would go to the cemetery on Melena's birthday together, taking flowers to lay on her grave. Frex always went alone on Nessa's birthday, the anniversary of her death, but this day was laid aside for those who remembered Melena.

Nessa was always invited, but never went. The cemetery was difficult to navigate in her chair, but the simple truth was that she didn't remember Melena. Annalie was the only mother she'd ever known.

When Elphaba had to get back to work, Frex waved her off as he called for the bill.

"Go, go. Try and sit by the window," he advised her. "Drink plenty of water."

"I'll be fine," Elphaba reassured him. "See you at home."

The afternoon passed quietly, and while her hands may have been working steadily, her mind was back in her novel, trying to muddle a way through the next chapter. She only paused in her work to jot down a few notes that occurred to her for chapter thirteen of her novel. If nothing else, it was a distraction from the heat.

Elphaba was tempted, not for the first time, to magic up a breeze in the workroom; but although she'd come a long way in controlling her magic since she was a child, she could never really get the hang of weather spells. The last thing she needed was to create a hurricane through the store.

Her employer, Miss Shyla, arrived just as Elphaba was beginning to pack up for the day, as the clock neared five o'clock. She critically examined the garment on the mannequin Elphaba was working on and finally sniffed.

"Adequate."

That was high praise from Miss Shyla.

"Thank you, ma'am. Have a good evening, Miss Shyla," Elphaba said tiredly and left for home.

It was no cooler now than it had been at noon, and she was parched by the time she cycled through town and up the hill to the Governor's house.

" _Fabala's home!"_ she heard Tomaz sing out from within the house, as she climbed the front steps to the door, the familiar greeting that welcomed her home from work most days.

Normally, Tomaz liked to do his homework in the living room, sitting at the window to watch for his eldest sister to return home. But as it was still summer vacation and he had no homework, Elphaba suspected he was just bored.

"Hello," she called out as she entered the house.

"Hello," mimicked Tomaz in return.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and entered the living room. "Hi. What are you doing?"

"Reading."

"Reading what?" Elphaba asked, coming closer to see the book on his lap.

The fact he was tilting it at such an angle so she couldn't see the cover made her suspicious.

" _Tomaz._ How many times have I told you to stay out of my room?" she demanded, snatching the book from him.

"But you have all the cool books," Tomaz whined.

"You don't need to read my Sorcery books. You can't _do_ Sorcery," Elphaba scolded him. "These books are dangerous, Tom. If you don't pronounce this exactly right, Oz only knows what could happen. Where's Ima? Is she home from the library yet? She can't know you're reading this, I'm sure."

Tomaz looked appropriately shamefaced, which told Elphaba she was correct. "She's in the back garden with Nessa."

He scurried after her as she headed in that direction. Sure enough, Annalie was kneeling in Nessa's vegetable garden, pulling carrots and handing them to Nessa to put in the basket on her lap.

"Hi, Fabala," she greeted her with a smile. "How was your day?"

"Fine. Can you talk to your son?"

Annalie sighed. "Why?"

"I didn't do anything!" Tomaz said hastily from behind Elphaba.

Elphaba shot him a glare and held up the Sorcery book. That was enough for information for Annalie, and she sighed again.

"I'm going to magically seal my room shut when I leave for Shiz," Elphaba informed her.

"You can't do that," Annalie laughed. "Nikita will need to clean in there. Just lock the door and leave the key with me. Or just take your Sorcery books with you."

"Why? I'm not going to study Sorcery," Elphaba pointed out. "I can control it, and I don't want a career in it."

"Well, sweetheart, you're not magically locking your room," Annalie said firmly as she got to her feet.

"Tomaz, go inside and wash your hands, please. You can help Nikita prepare dinner. It's a much better use of energy than stealing from your sister."

Tomaz sighed. "I didn't _steal_. I borrowed… without permission. I was _gonna_ put it back," he grumbled as he headed inside.

Elphaba turned to Nessa. "Remember when he was cute? And not a pain in the ass?"

Nessa laughed. "He's not that bad, Fabala."

"Well, of course you think that. He doesn't steal _your_ things," Elphaba complained.

"Borrows without permission," Nessa corrected lightly.

"Your father and I will talk to him," Annalie promised Elphaba.

"If he tries to read any of the spells aloud- "

"I know," Annalie interrupted gently. "I mean it, Fabala. We'll handle it. Now, when are you and your father going to the cemetery?"

"After dinner," Elphaba replied, taking the handles of Nessa's chair to help her inside. "Hopefully it'll be cooler by then."

"I cut you some roses from my garden," Nessa said quietly, tilting her head back to look up at her sister.

"I thought you might like to take them."

Elphaba smiled and squeezed her shoulder lightly. "Thanks, Nessie. They'll be perfect."

Frex returned home from his budget meeting at half past five. After leaving his briefcase in his study, he followed the sounds of voices to the kitchen. There, he found his wife and eldest daughter helping Nikita cook; and from the voices he could hear in the dining room, he guessed Tomaz and Nessarose were setting the table.

"Hello," he greeted them.

"Hi, Papa!" Tomaz yelled from the dining room.

Elphaba barely spared her father a glance and a smile before turning back to Annalie.

"It's not that I don't trust him, but… I don't trust him."

"Fabala, I think you're overreacting," Annalie laughed. "Is it possible you're projecting some of your nerves about leaving home onto this?"

Elphaba scoffed. "I'm not nervous."

"Overreacting about what?" Frex asked, kissing Annalie lightly.

"Tomaz has been 'borrowing without permission' from Elphaba's bookcase again," Annalie informed her husband. "Elphaba now wants to magically seal her room up when she's at Shiz."

Frex raised an eyebrow. "Is a normal key no longer sufficient?"

Elphaba sighed. "Normal locks can be picked."

"Elphaba, he's nine."

"So what? When I was nine-" Elphaba cut herself off abruptly. "You know what, never mind."

Nikita stepped in to save her before Frex or Annalie could demand an explanation.

"Here, Elphaba. Take this into the dining room, please," she said, handing her a salad bowl.

Dinner was slightly quieter than usual, perhaps because of the heat, or because of what the day was. Even Tomaz knew what today meant, and why it was important to his father and sisters.

Annalie told them about her day at the library, where she'd worked for the past five years since Mrs Fairchild had retired. Annalie had never really anticipated a return to her former profession, but she had always loved being a librarian.

When everyone had finished eating, Elphaba cleared the table while Annalie helped Nikita start the dishes. And then as Nessarose and Tomaz settled in to complete a puzzle in the living room, Elphaba collected the roses Nessa had cut from the garden, and she and Frex left for the cemetery.

It was cooler now that the sun hung lower in the sky, Elphaba was relieved to find, but the air remained thick and unbearably still. They hadn't gone halfway down the hill before she could feel the sweat starting to trickle down her neck.

There were few other mourners around as they trod the familiar path to Melena's grave. Elphaba gently lay down the flowers before the tombstone and pulled out a letter from her skirt pocket to lay with it. It had been something she'd done since she was eleven years old. She'd never quite been comfortable with the idea of talking to the tombstone, but she could write a letter to her mother.

That being done, Elphaba stepped back and settled herself under the nearby tree, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees while her father crouched down before the stone.

The letters were never overly long, they only included the news and events that had happened in the last year that Elphaba thought her mother might like to know. In case she didn't know. Elphaba could never decide how she felt about the idea of an afterlife.

This year's letter was mostly about work, and that she and Nessa were finally about to attend Shiz. There really wasn't much else to tell, but it made Elphaba feel a little more connected to her mother. She had only a precious few, very faint memories of her mother, although Frex had made more of an effort to share stories about her with Elphaba and Nessa over the years.

Through their father, they knew Melena had never attended university herself- her father hadn't allowed it, although she had wanted to go. Elphaba hoped that meant her mother would be proud that both her daughters were attending together.

Frex stayed crouched by Melena's grave for a few minutes longer, before he straightened up with a small grimace, his knees creaking.

"Shall we head home?" he asked Elphaba, who nodded and unfolded herself, rising to her feet.

As though he knew what she had been thinking, Frex put an arm around Elphaba's shoulders. "Your mother would be very proud of you and Nessa."

Elphaba smiled slightly. Her father said that every year. "I know, Papa."

He squeezed her shoulder lightly, dropped his arm and they turned for the cemetery gate.

Every time Frex made the walk from the cemetery to the house alongside his daughter, he could never help but remember the question she'd asked him the very first time they'd made the walk together on this very day.

 _Is this kind of what it feels like to have a mother?_

It had been such an innocent question, but the one that ultimately led to him to pursue Annalie. And everything was so different now.

It was almost hard to remember there was a time when his daughters had called him anything other than "Father" -or in Nessarose's case "Daddy". Elphaba had switched to "Dad" when things had begun to change between them; but when Tomaz had begun talking, Annalie had taught him to say "Papa" and his sisters had picked it up.

The memories of those years before Annalie came to the house would haunt Frex forever, and it seemed surreal and almost impossible that now both his daughters were about to leave home, but it was a small comfort to know he had his wife and son still to stop the house from feeling overwhelmingly empty.

When they returned to the house, Frex retreated to his study and Elphaba to her bedroom. It wasn't long before Annalie tapped gently on her bedroom door, bearing a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

"Thanks," Elphaba said as she accepted the bowl.

Annalie settled comfortably on the bed, pushing a sweaty lock of blonde hair back from her face.

"Sweetheart, are you sure you're not nervous about Shiz?"

Elphaba looked to her stepmother and raised an eyebrow. "Because I want Tom to stay out of my room while I'm gone?"

Annalie sighed. "Elphaba. Your father and I-"

"-Have been talking about me," Elphaba said knowingly. "Why aren't you talking about Nessa?"

"Nessa will have Xia with her. You won't."

"Yeah, but I'll have Nessa. I'm not nervous, Anna," Elphaba assured her. "I'm excited."

Annalie looked at her. Elphaba knew she didn't truly believe her, but also knew Annalie wouldn't push.

"Try not to stay up too late tonight," she said and got to her feet.

Elphaba nodded absently through a mouthful of ice cream, already turning back to her work. "Ok."

There was nothing quite like the feeling of losing herself among her characters and the world she'd created. Elphaba scribbled away, forgetting about the time and the heat as she incorporated the notes she'd made that afternoon. She wrote until nine-thirty, only stopping when she could feel a headache coming on. Then she showered, changed and prepared for bed.

The final week before they left for Shiz crawled by, at least for Elphaba. Their last night at home, Elphaba closed the last of her suitcases and double checked everything on her list had been packed. There were three books sitting on her desk that she was still uncertain about whether or not to take with her.

Elphaba grabbed them and headed downstairs to tap on Nessa's bedroom door.

"Hey," she greeted her sister, who was lying in bed reading. "Do you have any room in your bags?"

Nessa laughed knowingly. "How many books?"

"Only three," Elphaba replied, holding them up. "Little ones. All paperbacks."

Nessa pointed to one of her suitcases stacked neatly by the door. "Try the one on the left."

Elphaba moved a few things around to make her books fit and then sat on the end of Nessa's bed. The door that led to the bathroom that connected her room to Xia's was shut.

"How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," Nessarose admitted. "You?"

"Excited," Elphaba replied. "It's going to be great. Why are you nervous?"

Nessa hesitated and lowered her book to her lap.

"We've never been away from home for longer than two weeks. Even then, we've only been visiting Grandma and Grandad. What if I can't cope being alone?"

Elphaba sighed and moved to lie down on the bed next to her sister, linking pinkies.

"Nessie, you won't be alone. You have me, and Xia, and you're going to make a bunch of friends when we get there."

Nessa's eyes drifted over to her wheelchair, which stood next to the bed.

"Will I?"

Elphaba squeezed her hand. "Yes," she said firmly. "Don't worry about it, ok? Try and get some sleep."

Nessa nodded. "Ok. Fabala?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you'll be there with me," Nessa told her quietly.

Elphaba smiled and hugged her sister. "Me too. It'll be fine, Nessie. Shiz will be an adventure," she promised.

"An epoch?" Nessa smiled, quoting from the speech Annalie had made at their farewell dinner.

Elphaba chuckled. "Exactly," she said.

And she, for one, couldn't wait to see what awaited her.

 **AN. How do we feel about the new and improved Thropp family? Are we excited for Shiz?**

 **I appreciate each and every review! Your thoughts are what make me excited to post these.**


	2. Chapter 02

**AN. The response to ch 1 has blown me away. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! And for those who have asked- there's 38 chapters (it is a big one). Now- Shiz!**

 **Chapter 2**

Elphaba stood in the administration building of Shiz University behind a short redhead and her parents, waiting impatiently for their turn to be seen. The woman behind the desk seemed to be taking an age to find the redhead's name on the list of students.

Suppressing a sigh, Elphaba stared at the clock on the wall. They had half an hour to get their names checked off, find their rooms and leave their luggage before getting to the auditorium for orientation. She hated being late.

Next to her, Nessa was eyeing the other students in line behind them that were also waiting to be checked in. Elphaba wasn't sure if she was looking for people she knew from school in Munchkinland, or if she was feeling self-conscious. Between Nessa's chair and Elphaba's skin, the Thropp sisters sure knew how to garner attention.

Finally, the redhead moved aside and Elphaba stepped up to the desk.

"Hello," she said politely.

The woman didn't look up from her list, pen poised over it. "Name?"

"Thropp. Elphaba and Nessarose."

The woman glanced up and froze as she took in Elphaba's face. Elphaba suppressed another sigh and forced herself to continue smiling politely.

"Elphaba Thropp," she said, pointing to herself. "Nessarose Thropp," she added, pointing to her sister.

The woman blinked and slowly, too slowly, lowered her eyes to her list. Elphaba's foot began to tap impatiently as the woman's eyes tracked through the long list until she finally ticked off the two names.

"Room assignments for Miss Nessarose, and Miss Elphaba," the woman said, handing them each a key. "Please sign here to acknowledge you have received your key. Here are your personal orientation packs. Orientation is in twenty-five minutes," she said, handing them each a large envelope with their name on it after they'd signed for the keys.

"It would be twenty-eight minutes if you moved faster than a Sloth," Elphaba muttered under her breath, taking the handles of Nessa's chair and wheeling her away.

"Elphaba, it'll be fine," Nessa said patiently.

She studied the map of the campus that was on her lap. "Did we pass the auditorium already? I think it's that way," she pointed vaguely to the left, frowning at the map.

Outside of the administration building their family and Xia were waiting for them with the girls' luggage.

"Well?" Annalie asked eagerly, looking almost as excited as Elphaba felt.

Elphaba held up her room key. "Got them."

Tomaz, who had not enjoyed the carriage ride from Munchkinland and was clearly the least enthusiastic member of their group to be at the college campus, perked up somewhat.

"Which room is yours?" he asked, turning to stare at the buildings around them.

Nessa tried to place her dorm building on the map in relation to their location to show Tomaz, while Frex turned to Elphaba with a frown.

"I'll go with Xia and Nessa to get her settled, and Anna and Tomaz can help you. I'll come to meet you when I'm done. Does that suit?"

"You don't need to get me settled," Elphaba protested.

"Frex, they don't need us to hover," Annalie spoke up in her defense.

"I'm not hovering," Frex protested. "I just want to see them both settled before we leave."

Annalie and Elphaba exchanged a knowing glance.

"Which building are you in?" Annalie asked her.

"Crage Hall. Room 308," Elphaba replied.

Nessa was also in Crage Hall, a private room on the ground floor that she would share with Xia. Annalie, Tomaz and Elphaba parted from the others in the foyer and headed up to the third floor.

"I found 308!" Tomaz called out, having gone ahead down the hall.

Elphaba felt a little apprehensive as she unlocked the door. They'd visited the campus before, but they hadn't seen any dorm rooms. And this wasn't just any dorm room, this was _her_ dorm room. That would be the closest thing she had to home for at least the next year.

The first thing that struck her was that the room was empty- her soon to be roommate clearly hadn't arrived yet. The second thing she noticed was that it was tiny. Each side of the room had a single bed with shelves on the wall above it and a window in between them. There was a small desk and closet each, and a tiny bathroom, just large enough for a toilet, sink and shower.

But the room had a lot of light and when Elphaba looked out the window, she saw she could look upon Suicide Canal.

It reminded Elphaba much of the room she'd had at home before Annalie had arrived. Except for the fact she would be sharing it with another person.

"This takes me back," Annalie said wistfully, gazing around. "I was a Crage Hall girl too, you know. Room 220, I think it was."

She beamed at Elphaba. "Oh, you're going to have so much fun here, Fabala. You'll see."

Elphaba took one of her suitcases from her and tossed it onto the bed.

"I think it'll do," she said succinctly.

Tomaz was bouncing on the other bed. "Who do you think you'll share it with?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I doubt they'd appreciate you bouncing on their bed," Elphaba replied, shooing him off to sit on her own.

Frex entered the room, carrying a bag that Elphaba had assumed was Nessa's.

"How is it?" he asked her.

"It's fine," Elphaba replied.

Her father frowned, looking at the empty side of the room. Elphaba knew what he was thinking. He'd offered to pay for her to have a private room, so she wouldn't have to deal with a roommate, but Annalie had convinced Elphaba to try sharing with someone.

"It'll help you make friends," she'd urged.

Neither Frex nor Elphaba had been convinced, but Annalie and Nikita both thought it was a good idea.

"Once I'm unpacked and settled, it will feel more like home, I suppose," Elphaba said, trying to sound optimistic.

"Papa, isn't that Nessa's bag?" she asked, changing the subject.

Frex's face cleared as he seemed to remember the bag in his hand.

"Actually, I got you girls a little something."

He placed the bag on Elphaba's bed and opened it, lifting out a beautiful, thick, leather bound notebook and a fountain pen from within which he handed to Elphaba.

"It's beautiful!" Elphaba cried in delight, flicking through the blissfully blank pages.

Frex smiled faintly. "Anna and I are very proud of you, Fabala. You've worked so hard these past few years to get yourself here."

Annalie gently wrapped her arm around Elphaba's shoulders. "And we know how badly you want this. To be here, and to do well. But remember-"

"That this is the next epoch in my life?" Elphaba said knowingly.

Annalie laughed. "Remember to have _fun,"_ she stressed gently. "Get involved in different activities, make friends, go to parties, date-"

Frex cleared his throat uncomfortably. Annalie ignored him.

"We all know there's no guarantee that life will be easier for you here than in Munchkinland," she admitted. "There's small minded and judgemental people everywhere. But give people a chance. Ok?"

Elphaba sighed heavily. "I'll try," she promised her stepmother.

Annalie beamed. "Good. Alright, you and Nessa should get to orientation."

They headed downstairs and met with Nessa and Xia, who would unpack Nessa's and her own things while the sisters were at orientation. Annalie and Elphaba quickly surveyed the room that Nessa and Xia would share, before Frex and Annalie finally took their leave.

"Write to us when you can," Annalie said to them. "We want to hear about your classes and friends, don't we Frex?"

Frex looked to Elphaba solemnly. "Take care of yourself. Don't stay up all night, no skipping meals. Understood?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes slightly. "Understood."

Frex nodded, satisfied and hugged her warmly. "I love you, Fabala," he said quietly.

Elphaba returned the hug tightly. "Love you too, Papa."

When he stepped aside to farewell Nessa, Elphaba drew Tomaz to her side.

"If I write to you, will you write to me?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe."

Elphaba chuckled. "Good to know. Stay out of my room, got it?"

The door was locked, but a friendly reminder couldn't hurt.

"Got it," Tomaz sighed in disappointment as she released him.

Annalie shook her head as she too hugged Elphaba tightly. "Remember, give people a chance, and have fun."

"I'll try," Elphaba promised for the umpteenth time. "Love you, Ima."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

As Frex, Annalie and Tomaz headed towards the carriage, Elphaba and Nessa were left to find their way to orientation. Nessa looked a little lost once they were out of sight and Elphaba worried she was going to cry.

"What gift did Papa and Ima give you?" Elphaba asked her sister, trying to distract her.

It worked, as Nessa's face lit up with a smile. "Jewelled shoes. They're _beautiful_ ," she gushed. "What did you get?"

"A new notebook and a fountain pen," Elphaba replied.

Nessa chuckled. "The perfect gift for you then," she said.

Elphaba smiled. "I couldn't have asked for anything more," she agreed.

They found the auditorium with six minutes to spare, much to Elphaba's relief. The room was full of students, all of whom stopped and stared as the sisters entered. Nessa tensed visibly, but Elphaba lifted her chin defiantly. She pretended not to see how students moved away from her as she came further into the room.

Then the muttering started. It started like a faint buzzing of bees, until Elphaba could make out snatches of whispers and murmurs.

"She's _green-"_

" _Green."_

"How?"

"So _weird."_

And just as the whispers had swelled, they faded away into silence, until there was nothing but people's eyes on Elphaba.

Elphaba stiffened, her hands tightening on the handles of Nessa's chair. Her lips flattened out into a thin line as she stared down some of the nearest onlookers, who flinched away and averted their gazes.

"There's an empty spot over there," Nessa pointed out.

Elphaba obediently wheeled the chair over. She couldn't see her sister's face, but she could see the slight bob of her head as Nessa nodded politely to the students they passed, no doubt offering a friendly albeit nervous smile.

It was on the tip of Elphaba's tongue to say something, that no doubt would not be as polite as Nessa's smile. But as though she knew what Elphaba was thinking, and she mostly likely did, Nessa reached for Elphaba's hand and squeezed it lightly.

"Ignore them, Fabala," she whispered. "They don't matter."

Elphaba didn't get a chance to respond before there came a commotion from the doors at the other end of the room. The crowds parted like waves and a blonde girl strode confidently into the centre of the room, clearly basking in the stares of her fellow students instead of cringing away as the Thropp sisters had done.

The blonde came to a stop, almost posing. Elphaba could tell her clothes were designer made, the latest fall fashions. Her time working in the dressmakers had taught her that much, at least. Her blonde hair was perfectly curled, under a hat that matched her outfit.

The girl reached into her purse and drew out a compact, opening it and examining her reflection, fluffing her hair while taking in the room. She smiled brightly at some students as she caught their eyes. Her gaze drifted over Elphaba and Nessa and her expression changed to one of disgust and horror.

Elphaba bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from speaking and glared at the blonde until she averted her gaze.

 _Give people a chance,_ Annalie had urged. _That_ was likely.

"Welcome, new students!" a new voice called boomed through the room, and the students turned to see several staff members enter, led by an older woman with rather heavy makeup on.

Some people jumped, Nessa included. Elphaba wondered whether it was done purposefully to come across imposingly, or if she had not expected the room to be so silent and overcompensated.

The woman strode to the centre of the dais that was at the front of the room, looking out over the students as her staff members filed behind her.

"I am Madame Morrible, Headmistress of Shiz University," she greeted them.

She was smiling in a way that was no doubt meant to be warm and reassuring, but Elphaba wasn't fooled. She had been the Headmistress during Ottah's time here, and he'd told her many stories. ' _Horrible Morrible'_ he'd always referred to her as.

"Whether you're here to study Law, Logic or Linguification, I know I speak for my fellow faculty members when I say we have nothing but the _highest_ hopes. For some of you."

More murmurs and some faint chuckles rippled through the students. Elphaba didn't think the Headmistress had been joking. If she had been, she didn't find it amusing.

"You should have all been to the administration building by now," Madame Morrible continued. "And had your names checked off to receive your room assignments. If you have not, leave now. The administration building closes for the day in fifteen minutes, no exceptions. I would hate for anyone to have to spend their first night at Shiz sleeping in the courtyard."

Five students scurried for the door, including the boy standing closest to Elphaba and Nessarose.

"If there are any questions or problems in that regard, please raise your hand immediately."

A lone hand went up. It was the blonde girl, still standing in the centre of the room where she could command the attention of the room at a moment.

Madame Morrible looked at the girl severely. "Is this regarding room assignments?"

The blonde giggled. "Oh, no. Thank you for asking, Madame Morrible, but I've already been assigned a private _suite."_

More murmurs broke out and Elphaba rolled her eyes. It made sense now. Shiz offered some private rooms, but there were only a select few private suites available, some more grandiose than others- depending on the building. For the girl to get one of those, her family must be very wealthy or nobility of some kind.

No doubt the girl had made the proclamation just to subtly announce her status.

She waved away the envious mutters of the surrounding students with a brilliant smile and wave.

"But you can all come visit me whenever you want," she said generously.

The tone of the murmurs changed immediately, and the girl beamed.

Madame Morrible stared at the girl impatiently.

"If this is _not_ regarding room assignments, I trust you have a question of the _upmost_ importance?"

The blonde turned back to Madame Morrible, tossing her curls back over her shoulder.

"Oh, _yes,_ Madame. You see, I am-"

Elphaba swore the girl paused for dramatic effect.

"Galinda Upland," she introduced herself loudly, lifting her chin importantly.

Another pause. There were some impressed murmurs, but Madame Morrible's face remained like stone.

Galinda faltered only slightly.

"Of the Upper Uplands," she stressed.

More impressed murmurs seemed to placate her, although Madame Morrible still gave her no sign of acknowledgement.

"I've applied to your Sorcery seminar. Perhaps you recall my entrance essay; _'Magic Wands: Need They Have A Point?'"_

Elphaba gave a derisive snort under her breath. Nessa heard and looked up at her sister warningly, but no one else appeared to hear. Morrible inclined her head slightly.

"Ah, yes. However, I do not teach my seminar every semester. Of course, if someone _special_ were to come along-"

"Well, _exactly,"_ Galinda interrupted, bobbing into a small curtsey.

Madame Morrible's lip curled slightly. "Are there any questions about room assignments?" she called out again, louder this time.

Galinda's hand shot up again, but Madame Morrible ignored her. No other hands went up.

"Very well," Madame Morrible said. "In the individual orientation packs that you received from administration, you will find your class schedule. Thursday, that is tomorrow, is the _only_ day you will have prior to classes beginning to address any problems or issues you have with your schedule. This can only be done by seeing myself in my office between the hours of nine o'clock and noon. After that, you will be locked into those classes for two weeks, at which point there is a small window of opportunity to change classes. You will be given information about this at a later date."

She looked down at some papers on the clipboard in her hand.

"Classes begin at nine am on Monday morning. Ensure you have all your textbooks and equipment prior to your first class, which can all be purchased from the bookstore in town. Teachers will not tolerate students being unprepared. If you think you may end up changing a class, the library has copies of all textbooks you may borrow. But be warned, there are few copies of each.

Also ensure you arrange to have your student identification card picked up as soon as possible. These also serve as your library card and are necessary for exams."

She surveyed the students once more silently, and then nodded.

"The staff and I will remain behind for ten minutes to address any questions. You are dismissed."

Students scattered immediately, and Nessa looked up at Elphaba.

"I want to thank Madame Morrible for arranging the quarters to suit my needs," she said. "Would you come with me?"

"Of course," Elphaba said immediately.

There were not typically ground floor student rooms, and the school had constructed this one specifically for Nessa. The only other rooming option had been a room in Madame Morrible's own private compartment, and Nessa had balked at the prospect of sharing a room with the staff.

There were only a few other students who had remained behind, including Galinda Upland, who seemed to be badgering Madame Morrible over enrolling in her Sorcery seminar again.

Because of that, Elphaba didn't feel bad about interrupting.

"Excuse me, Madame Morrible?" she spoke over the blonde.

Madame Morrible looked rather relieved for the interruption as she turned.

"Ah, you must be the Governor's daughters!" she exclaimed, her eyes on Nessa.

From the corner of her eye, Elphaba saw Galinda's jaw drop slightly for a moment before she caught herself.

"Miss Nessarose, isn't it? And… Miss Elphaba," Morrible said, raising her eyes to Elphaba. "How can I be of help?"

"I just wanted to thank you, Madame, for arranging my room," Nessa said politely. "I know it was a hassle-"

"Your parents made it _very_ clear what was required to ensure your well-being," Madame Morrible cut her off. "I trust your quarters are satisfactory? If there's anything further you need, please feel free to come by my office."

Nessa thanked her again, and Elphaba made to wheel her sister away.

"Oh, Miss Elphaba?" Madame Morrible called after her, and Elphaba turned.

"Madame?"

"Your father tells me you're extremely bright."

Elphaba blushed slightly.

"Bright? She's _phosphorescent,"_ Galinda muttered to the girl next to her, who giggled.

Elphaba's flush deepened, this time in anger.

"My father is prone to exaggeration, Madame," Elphaba said politely.

"No, he's not," Nessarose interjected, defending her sister.

Even she was regarding Galinda and her friends with a hard, cold stare.

Madame Morrible surveyed them for a moment and then nodded approvingly. "You're studying Law, yes?"

"Yes, Madame," Elphaba replied.

"I look forward to seeing great things from you, Miss Elphaba. Good day, ladies."

And then she strode off, ignoring Galinda's attempts to recapture her attention.

Elphaba suppressed a shudder as she and Nessa left the auditorium. "I'm glad I'm not studying Sorcery now," she said quietly. "Morrible gives me the creeps."

Nessa rolled her eyes. "You've heard too many stories from Ottah," she said with a small smile. "She seemed perfectly polite to me."

Elphaba snorted sceptically.

"Do you want to go check out the town?" she suggested. "It's only a five-minute walk from campus, according to Ottah."

"Don't you want to unpack first?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, I'd rather walk for a bit."

She was feeling rather restless.

Nessa agreed and they headed into town. The walk took a little longer than the predicted five minutes with Nessa's chair, but the town was easy to get to and the path was well-lit and lined with trees.

"Won't this be so pretty when the leaves change?" Nessa said dreamily.

Elphaba had to agree. Autumn was her favourite season and she was excited to see how the season differed from Munchkinland.

The town of Shiz was not especially large but had every comfort of home the girls could have hoped to find. There were several restaurants, including a pub and _The OzDust Ballroom,_ which they had heard about from both Annalie and Ottah. It didn't sound like Elphaba's usual scene at all, but Nessa tried to peek inside as they passed.

They passed a church, a hotel and a small grocery store before Elphaba found a bookstore, which delighted her to no end. She wanted to go inside and look, but Nessa protested.

"If you go in, you'll never come out," she said. "Why don't we come back tomorrow, and we can get our books for the semester at the same time? Unless you brought your book list with you?"

"No," Elphaba conceded reluctantly, looking wistfully through the window. "Alright. We'll come back tomorrow."

As they passed yet another dress store, Elphaba's stomach grumbled.

"Should we find somewhere to eat?" she asked Nessa. "I'm hungry."

"There was the bakery next to the bank?" Nessa suggested. "Or do you want something more substantial than that?"

"Yeah, let's try that café back near the town hall. It looked decent."

They had dinner at _The Wilted Rose,_ a café which appeared to be very popular among Shiz students. While they ate, they agreed to come back the next morning to get their books and Nessa asked if they could check out the church afterwards.

"I think it was a Lurlinist church," Elphaba said. "I suppose there must be a Unionist church in town somewhere… I don't need to go to a service with you, do I?"

Nessa laughed at the expression on her face. "No," she reassured her. "I don't even know if I'll go. I'd just like to have the option."

After dinner, Elphaba saw her sister back to her room and then headed upstairs to her own room to unpack and settle in. When she opened the door, she saw there were now suitcases on the other side of the room, but the room was still empty.

She set about making her bed, with the brand-new linen that had been a gift from Nikita and Akio. She was just unpacking her books onto the shelves above her bed when the door opened. A tall, curvy brunette entered and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Elphaba.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she said nastily.

Elphaba turned slowly. "Um, I live here."

The girl stared at Elphaba, taking her in from head to toe.

"No."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Don't get comfortable," the girl warned her. "I wouldn't even bother unpacking. This is _completely_ unacceptable."

The girl turned without another word and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Elphaba's shoulders dropped as she let out a tired sigh. She sank onto the bed and placed the books in her hand onto the nightstand. Instead she reached for the orientation package she'd been given that morning.

She'd already looked through her class schedule for the first semester. It was busy, but manageable. She'd have an early start on Mondays, and a late finish on Wednesdays, but she had no classes on Fridays. The package also contained her book list, which she put in her bag, so she wouldn't forget to take it with her tomorrow; as well as flyers for different campus activities, groups and clubs available to join.

Only one had really caught Elphaba's interest- the campus newspaper, _The Shiz University Gazette._

"All students welcome!" the flyer proclaimed.

Annalie had encouraged her to get involved, right? And the paper seemed perfect- it gave her the chance to write, to meet people, but also not necessarily have to _deal_ with people.

And, judging from her brief first interaction with her roommate, Elphaba thought she'd be glad for a reason to avoid her dorm room as much as possible.

Her mind made up, Elphaba placed the flyer in her bag with her book list so that she'd remember to call by the newspaper office and check it out when she had a chance. Then she sighed, and resumed unpacking, slightly more disheartened than before.

So far, Shiz was not shaping up to be the wonderful experience she'd dreamed of. It could only get better from here, right?

 **AN. So, we've met Galinda!**


	3. Chapter 03

**AN. I'm glad you're all excited to see Fiyero, but he's still a few chapters away! I do love everyone's excitement though. I hope you all like where this goes. There's so many little things in these early chapters that end up being important later on!**

 **Chapter 3**

Elphaba escaped her dorm room eagerly the next morning. Her roommate, who's name she still didn't know as the girl hadn't bothered to make introductions, had returned to the room in such a state of high dudgeon Elphaba could only take it as a sign that her pleas to Madame Morrible to change rooms had gone unheard.

She'd spent the night storming around the room unpacking before throwing herself into bed with a huff. She was still asleep the next morning when Elphaba slipped out of the room.

Elphaba stopped at Nessa's room, and Xia opened the door.

"Good morning, Miss Elphaba," she greeted her.

"Good morning," Elphaba replied.

Nessa wheeled herself to the door, looking rather relieved to see her sister.

"Morning, Fabala!"

"Morning. Want to grab some breakfast before we go to the bookstore?" Elphaba asked.

"Sure. The dining hall or should we eat in town?"

"Let's check out the dining hall," Elphaba decided and looked to Xia.

"Would you like to come?"

Xia smiled. "Thank you, Miss Elphaba, but I'm fine."

Nessa bid her farewell and wheeled herself out into the hall.

"How'd you sleep?" Elphaba asked her.

Nessa hesitated. "Not well," she admitted. "It was hard to get to sleep in a strange room, you know? It's so strange to not be at home. What about you? What's your roommate like?"

Elphaba chuckled hollowly. "My roommate… is not thrillified to be stuck with the green girl, I imagine."

Nessa winced. "I'm sorry. I should have roomed with you."

Elphaba shook her head. "It'll be fine. Give it a few days… let me find out her name, I'll make it work."

Nessa's eyes widened. "You don't know her _name_ yet?"

Elphaba sighed tiredly.

They found the breakfast on offer at the dining hall to be passable, although "not as good as Nikita's cooking" Nessa declared.

She was looking for any small reminder of home and its comforts, Elphaba recognised, although she herself found it the moment they entered the bookstore. Wherever you went, books would always smell the same and Elphaba found that a comforting thought.

As Elphaba strolled the shelves, pulling down books she and Nessa would need for the semester, she told her sister about the newspaper.

"You'd be so great for that!" Nessa said enthusiastically. "You will go for it, won't you?"

"I'll stop by the office and check it out," Elphaba promised. "What about you? Anything you might get involved in?"

Nessa frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. I'll have to have another look at the list."

When they arrived back at school, Elphaba parted from her sister to drop her new books in her room and then go check out the library.

"Make sure you stop by the newspaper office!" Nessa called after her. "And find out your roommate's name!"

Elphaba merely waved over her shoulder as she walked away.

Her dorm room was empty, her roommate (what ever her name was) was gone. Elphaba placed her new books on the shelves above her bed along with the others. She considered her shelves with a frown, thinking they didn't look quite right. She brushed off the feeling quickly, however. She'd been tired when she unpacked last night, and Nessa was right. It felt a little odd to be in a new room, nothing felt right at the moment.

Elphaba shook her head and grabbed her bag and key once more, and in a moment, was out the door.

Elphaba didn't bother with the campus map to find the library, she knew she'd find it. Ottah had always teased her that she had an "internal honing device" in her brain to find the closest source of books, and maybe he was right.

She'd been to the library in the Emerald City before, and there was no way the Shiz library would be able to compete with that; but it was still far beyond the Munchkinland main library, and Elphaba foresaw many happy hours wandering among the shelves in her future.

Elphaba surveyed the building quickly, scoping out the relevant stacks of books she'd need most for her classes, and the best spots for studying or quiet reading. She was very satisfied with what she found, and within fifteen minutes had already seen a stack of books she wanted to check out.

It was tempting to spend the rest of the day here, getting to know the room- as crazy as that may sound- but after half an hour, Elphaba reluctantly tore herself away and went in search of the newspaper office. She knew Nessa would mention it when she wrote home even if Elphaba didn't it, and Elphaba wanted to be able to tell her father and Annalie that she _was_ trying.

The _Gazette_ office was in the back of an old wing of the administration building. Elphaba passed the mailroom, a conference room and a student lounge before she came to the right door.

Considering classes, and hence the semester, hadn't even officially started yet, Elphaba was a little surprised to find it so full of people. She entered the room slowly, figuring there was no point to knocking- because no one would hear her.

"Excuse me," she said to the person nearest her.

She waited patiently for the familiar double take and involuntary step back as the boy turned and really saw her.

"I'm a first year," she said, a little coolly. "I wanted to apply-"

"You need to see the editor," the boy interrupted quickly. "Rais. He's over there."

Elphaba made a point of thanking him, moving towards the freckled redhead that had been pointed out.

"Excuse me, Rais?"

He looked up from the papers in his hand and stilled.

"It's true," he murmured.

" _Excuse me?"_ Elphaba said again, less politely this time.

"There really is a green girl," he said, a note of awe in his voice, as though she were one of Lurline's fairies herself. "What a _scoop."_

Elphaba set her jaw. "I'm not here to be a scoop for you," she said stiffly.

He actually looked a little ashamed, which wasn't something Elphaba saw often.

"Er, right. Sorry. You're here to apply for a staff position?"

She nodded, and he picked up the top piece of paper from a stack on his desk.

"Name?"

"Elphaba Thropp."

"What do you plan to major in?"

"Law."

"You ever worked on a paper before? Written an article?"

"No," Elphaba admitted. "But I'm a fast learner. And I've read two newspapers a day every day since I was twelve."

Rais glanced at the paper, around the room and then back to Elphaba.

"We're a weekly paper. Last semester had a circulation of over ten thousand. All staffers must maintain a B minus in all their courses to keep their position. It's a lot of late nights and a heavy workload. Can you keep up?"

"Yes," Elphaba said quickly.

Rais handed her a piece of paper. "All students applying for a position go through a probation period first semester. You can be cut at any time. If you're successful, you'll get a position on staff in the spring semester."

Elphaba nodded and skimmed the sheet of paper. "Astronomy Club's new telescope," she read.

"Your first test. I want five hundred words on my desk by Monday, nine am."

And with that, he strode away and Elphaba understood herself to be dismissed.

She stared at the piece of paper, biting her lip. Five hundred words on a telescope. She could handle that. She'd had a brief Astronomy phase when she'd been about fourteen, but she remembered little of it now.

Of all the clubs and societies Shiz offered, Elphaba didn't even remember seeing an Astronomy club on the list. At least she knew where to start- finding someone in the Astronomy Club to talk to. If someone could manage to form sentences around the green girl. Elphaba didn't have very high hopes.

Elphaba spent the afternoon tracking down people to talk to for the article, before she went to have dinner with Nessa and Xia at the dining hall.

"So, you found the astronomy club room?" Nessa asked once Elphaba had told the story.

"Well, I found the Faculty Advisor," Elphaba corrected her. "I think their room is an old storage closet in the Science building."

"What does the Astronomy club actually do? Like, what are they looking for?" she asked curiously.

Elphaba grinned. "If they print the article, you'll find out."

Nessa laughed. "I'm sure they'll print it."

Elphaba waved a hand. "We'll see. What did you do this afternoon?"

Nessa took a sip of her drink before answering. "I had another look at the list of clubs available. There's one that seems interesting- they do a lot of charity work and fundraising things. I thought it would be nice to do something that can help people, and I think I can handle it with my chair and all."

"Nice. So, you're going to join?"

Nessa hesitated. "I might see how my schedule works out first. I'd hate to overcommit myself and fall behind on my classes."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Nessie, you're studying Art History. I think you'll cope."

"We'll see," Nessa said vaguely. "I'm going to spend this weekend doing the readings for my first week of classes, get things organised. You?"

"I think I'm going to hit the library tomorrow, to do a little bit of research for the article. Do some reading for classes… hopefully do some writing. Pretty much avoid my dorm room at all costs."

Nessa grimaced sympathetically. "You still don't know your roommate's name?"

"I haven't seen her today to make introductions," Elphaba replied. "We'll see if she's there when I go back tonight. Unless her name is 'no', which is pretty much the only word she's said to me."

After dinner, Elphaba honestly debated just going to the library until it closed, but ultimately climbed the stairs with heavy steps. The room was empty, but there were clothes strewn across the bed and the bathroom door was closed, so she assumed the girl was here.

Elphaba settled onto her bed and pulled out the small chest shed stored under her bed. Inside the chest was two notebooks, one of which was her novel and the other was all her notes for it. She opened it to where she had left off and reached for a pen, absent-mindedly chewing on the end of it as she tried to re-capture her train of thought.

She'd gotten approximately two sentences in before the bathroom door flew open and her roommate came into the room in a bathrobe with her hair wrapped up in a towel. Once again, she came to a dead stop as her eyes landed on Elphaba and she scowled.

"Hello," Elphaba said politely.

The girl grabbed some of the clothes off the bed and returned to the bathroom. She turned back at the door.

"Don't touch my stuff," she ordered Elphaba and shut the door behind her.

Elphaba stared at the closed door for a moment incredulously. "Hi, I'm Elphaba. Who are you?" she said sarcastically and returned to her novel.

The other girl emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later and sat on her bed with her back facing Elphaba.

Elphaba hesitated, then sighed. She put down her pen and cleared her throat.

"Uh, hi."

Her roommate ignored her.

"Excuse me?"

Again, she was ignored.

"Really?" Elphaba demanded impatiently. "You're just never going to speak to me?"

The girl whipped around and glared at her. "I didn't _ask_ to be roommates with the artichoke. I don't need any association with _you_ to ruin my life."

"And pretending I don't exist in this room is going to protect you? Are the walls _that_ thin?" Elphaba asked sceptically.

"Just leave me alone. Stay on your side of the room and keep your slimy skin away from me and my stuff," she snapped.

Not the first time Elphaba had had someone refer to her skin as slimy, but it still hurt.

Her roommate climbed into bed and rolled on to her side. Elphaba rolled out her shoulders uneasily and curled herself into a tight ball on her bed, balancing her notebook on her knee and picked up her pen once more.

The half an hour she spent trying to write a single paragraph quickly proved to Elphaba that her dorm room would not be a conducive environment to writing.

Maybe it was just that she wasn't used to writing with someone else in the room, but she found her roommate's presence to be very distracting. Or maybe it was just that it's hard to be inspired when you were stuck in a room with someone who detested your very presence.

Either way, she gave up trying to write. She returned the notebook to the chest and shoved it back under the bed, being careful to make sure it was locked and then meekly slid into bed and turned off the light. She had to find another place to write, or she'd never get anything done on her novel. And not writing always made her a little crazy.

Elphaba spent the majority of the weekend in the library, only leaving for meals and to sleep. She re-wrote her article three times, until finally she was satisfied, and she had it on Rais's desk in the _Gazette_ office before eight am on Monday morning, dropping it off before she and Nessa went to the dining hall for breakfast.

"What's your first class?" Elphaba asked Nessa as they ate.

Or rather, Elphaba picked at a piece of toast while Nessa ate nothing. She was too nervous.

"Art History. Theory and Controversy," Nessa replied. "You?"

"Foundations of Law."

Nessa laughed for the first time that morning. "Foundations of Law? You could pass that in your sleep, I'm sure. You've been reading Law books since you were nine!"

Elphaba chuckled. "I'm sure it won't be quite that simple. And if it is, at least having such an early lecture on a Monday morning won't be a chore."

She checked her watch. "Ok. I'm going. The lecture goes for an hour, and then I'm going to stop by the _Gazette_ office and see if the editor read my article."

Nessa nodded. "Have fun. Will I see you for dinner?"

Elphaba paused. "Do you want to?" she asked. "I mean, wouldn't you rather eat with friends?"

"I haven't made any friends yet," Nessa reminded her. "And even if I do, you're my sister. I wouldn't make you eat alone."

Elphaba hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Nessa looked at her pointedly. "Do you remember what Ima told us? When I started attending school?"

Elphaba frowned, trying to think back. Annalie had finally convinced Frex to let Nessarose attend school with her classmates instead of being home-schooled when she was nine, after Tomaz was born.

Elphaba shook her head. "No. You do?"

Nessa nodded. "She said that we're sisters. And it's a bond unlike any other, and we should trust one another to have our backs, no matter what. I've got your back, Fabala. No matter what. If I make a friend who doesn't want to be around you, then they aren't really my friend, are they?"

Elphaba smiled at her sister gratefully. It did sound very familiar, now that she thought about it.

"You're the best sister ever," she said.

Nessa beamed. "Why don't we have dinner in town tonight? I'll meet you at _The Wilted Rose_ at six?" she suggested.

Elphaba nodded. "See you then," she said and left to find her classroom.

Nessa was right, there was nothing particularly exciting about Elphaba's first Law class, but she was hopeful that once they began to delve a little deeper, it would become more interesting.

She sat by herself in the class, which was neither unusual nor surprising. Her teacher however, Dr Tuskpelt, seemed knowledgeable enough and was perfectly civil to Elphaba when she raised her hand to answer questions. She appreciated that. Not all teachers were.

The moment the lecture was over, Elphaba made for the _Gazette_ office, which was even busier than it had been on Friday. Elphaba scanned the room from the doorway, ignoring the alarmed and confusified stares from people until she found Rais, who was sitting at a desk in the centre of the room.

The annoying blonde girl from orientation (Lyndahl? Glyn?) was sitting on the corner of his desk, clearly flirting with him. Elphaba could hear her annoying giggles from the doorway. Ignoring the girl, Elphaba strode up to the desk and cleared her throat.

Rais looked irritated as he tore his gaze reluctantly from the blonde, but his face cleared as he saw Elphaba and he stood up.

"It's Elphaba, right?" he said, offering a hand to her.

Elphaba froze for a moment, staring at his outstretched hand for a moment before cautiously reaching out to shake it. "Y-Yes," Elphaba said.

Rais grinned, released her hand and beckoned for her to follow him. "With me," he said, and grabbed a paper from his desk before walking away.

Elphaba registered the look of shook on the blonde girl's face as she obediently followed him. Rais hadn't so much as glanced in her direction as he'd left.

Elphaba followed him to the back of the room, where there was an empty desk beneath a window, in front of a wall of filing cabinets.

Rais sat down in the chair, gesturing for Elphaba to pull up another chair from the empty desk nearby.

"You have promise," he said.

It took Elphaba a moment to register his words and their meaning.

"Really?" she asked, her mouth dropping slightly. "It was ok?"

"It was better than ok. It was good. Not great, there's room for improvement," he allowed. "But if you've truly never written an article before, I'm impressed."

Elphaba's heart was sitting in her throat, pounding a million miles an hour. "What does that mean? I passed the first test?"

He nodded. "Yes."

He tapped the paper. "We do our own revisions here. Make the corrections, get to me to check. We put the paper to bed tomorrow night-"

"Put to bed?" Elphaba interrupted.

"Goes to print," Rais explained. "I want the finished copy to me by three today, so I can get it to layout. Can you do that?"

Elphaba nodded immediately. "Yes."

She didn't have another class for two hours, that would be plenty of time.

Rais nodded in satisfaction and stood up. "Well, this is your desk, at least for the rest of the semester. The desk next to you hasn't been assigned yet, but I imagine it will be soon."

He held out a hand for her to shake again. "Welcome to the _Shiz University Gazette,_ Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba shook his hand, beaming. "Thank you."

Rais nodded and left her alone. Elphaba pulled out her reading glasses from her bag and set to work.

The revisions were done within an hour and a half, and Elphaba anxiously followed Rais around while he checked it once more. When he finally approved it and then handed it to the person in charge of layout, Elphaba felt a thrill run through her.

"We have a meeting on Thursday mornings at eight to discuss story assignments," Rais told her. "Otherwise, people pretty much come and go. Everyone has a pigeon hole on the wall near the door. If I need to call a bigger meeting for a reason, I'll put a note in everyone's pigeon hole, so make sure you check it. Got it?"

"Got it," Elphaba replied.

Rais nodded. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to edit Galinda's article… it's going to take a while. You have any thoughts about the dress code?"

Elphaba frowned. "Um, there should be one?" she offered.

"No, the whole rule about hemlines? They have to be at least three inches above the knee or something?"

"Oz, I hope that's not true," Elphaba said, blanching. "Is it possibly three inches _below_ the knee?"

Rais frowned. "Maybe… Hey, Gyrtie!" he called out, heading in the direction of a girl who appeared to have purple hair.

Elphaba headed out the door to her next class, her spirits high. Despite the roommate situation, Shiz was definishly improving quickly.

 **AN. I also forgot to mention last chapter- the Shiz University Gazette is mentioned in the Wicked pop-up book. Which is where I got the idea.**

 **I also love writing a Elphaba/Nessa where they just get to be sisters, and close ones at that. Anyone else?**

 **Next chapter, we get to meet another familiar face! (No, not Fiyero)**


	4. Chapter 04

**AN. If you follow me on any social media (links on my profile page) you might have seen I'm sharing some of my favourite reviews I'm getting for this fic. A little promotion thing!**

 **And yes, I am posting this every three days instead of 2. I just wanted to spread it out a bit more to give people time to read and review.**

 **Chapter 4**

On Wednesday morning, Elphaba positively flew out of her dorm room, dragging a barely awake Nessa along to find the closest copy of the _Gazette._

Nessa rubbed her eyes tiredly as her sister impatiently flicked through the pages. She jumped as Elphaba uttered a sound which could almost be described as a squeal- which was a very un-Elphaba like sound.

"It's here! Look! My article! I'm a published writer!" she exclaimed, shoving the paper in Nessa's face.

Nessa took the paper from her and found the article in question, a smile lighting up her face as she took in her sister's name on the by-line.

"Fabala, that's amazing. Really. Congratulotions."

"Did you read the article? What do you think?" Elphaba demanded.

Nessa chuckled. "I haven't read it yet. I'm barely awake. Can we get some coffee? I'll read it over breakfast," she promised.

Elphaba agreed and wheeled her sister towards the dining hall, where she got them both coffee and a muffin. Of course, she didn't touch hers but nervously tapped her fingers on the table as she watched Nessa read. Nessa wasn't put off by it.

"It's a really good article, Elphaba," she said sincerely, putting the paper down. "You should send it to Papa and Ima. They'd love to see it, I'm sure."

Elphaba smiled. "Thanks, Nessie. Maybe I will."

Nessa looked at her in exasperation. "No, _maybe._ Do it."

"Ok, ok. I'll do it," Elphaba agreed. "I'll write home tonight and include a copy."

She sighed, glancing around the dining hall. There were a few other students reading the paper and she felt a nervous thrill rush through her, wondering if anyone else would read her article, or just skip it.

"You have your writing class today, don't you?" Nessa asked her, handing her back the paper.

Elphaba's face lit up. "Yeah. Five o'clock."

She was taking a Creative Writing class this semester, strictly for fun. She was excited, but it was also the class she was the most nervous about. It would be her longest class, going for two hours.

"I don't see why you're nervous," Nessa said. "You've been writing forever."

Elphaba grimaced. "I know, but… what if it turns out I'm not any good?"

Nessa stared at her sister incredulously. "Elphaba, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not," Elphaba protested. "And I'm not fishing for compliments or anything. It's just a fact. No one's ever seen my writing, except for Papa and Ima. And they're hardly unbiased. This class is being taught by an _actual_ published author. What if he thinks I'm terrible?"

"Elphaba, you're a wonderful writer. Look at this article," Nessa argued.

Elphaba shook her head. "That's different. All I had to do was present the facts. Writing fiction is different. You have to make people _feel_ things. And that's not easy and it's hard to measure in terms of a skill."

Nessa was sympathetic. "I don't think that's limited only to fiction. Look at your article- you made me feel interest in the Astronomy club. That's something, isn't it?"

Elphaba chuckled.

"I just don't want this class to ruin my love for it, if that makes sense," she said quietly.

"I think you're going to love the chance to talk about writing with other people who love writing as much as you do," Nessa said gently.

Elphaba sighed. "If anyone's willing to talk to me at all," she said glumly.

Her other classes and a quick stop by the newspaper office seemed to pass by in a blur that day. As the clocked ticked on towards five o'clock, Elphaba's nervous anticipation grew and she felt almost ill as she found the classroom and slipped into a seat in the front row, some fifteen minutes early.

The class was held in one of the smaller classrooms, and it was empty when Elphaba arrived. She pulled out her notepad and pen from her bag and slipped on her reading glasses, flicking through the subject outline once more.

 _This subject offers a practical introduction to creative writing through the three key genres of poetry, prose (fiction and non-fiction) and scriptwriting (radio and stage),_ the outline promised.

Elphaba had read plenty of poetry and plays over the years but writing them was another story. But the subject also promised to help them develop their writing, editing and critical skills, and _that,_ Elphaba was looking forward to.

Students slowly began to enter the room, no one that Elphaba knew, not that that meant much. It seemed to be mostly girls, all of whom faltered in the doorway when they saw Elphaba sitting in the front row.

The teacher entered the room two minutes before class started, and Elphaba saw a few of the girls perk up. She wondered how many of them had picked the subject because they found him attractive. He was by far the youngest teacher on staff Elphaba was aware of, and she supposed he was fairly attractive.

He'd published a novel which, while not a bestseller, had done well; and had written and produced three successful plays. Elphaba had seen his most recent play the year before and had thought it was wonderful.

"Good evening," he greeted them. "Welcome to Introduction to Creative Writing. I'm Dr Farley."

Elphaba swore the girl sitting two rows behind her uttered an audible, dreamy sigh.

"Over this semester," Dr Farley addressed them, "You will be introduced to a wide range of texts. You will be given the opportunity to workshop your writing in class and read, critique and edit your classmate's work. By the end of the semester, you'll have produced a portfolio of work, and this is what you will be graded on. Are there any questions so far?"

The class was silent.

Dr Farley nodded. "Alright. First of all, I want to go around the room. Say your name and what format you usually write in. Let's start with you," he nodded to Elphaba.

Elphaba sat up straighter. "I'm Elphaba," she introduced herself, only looking at the teacher and not her classmates. "I- I've mostly written short stories, but I've been working on something longer the last few years… on and off."

Dr Farley nodded and pointed to the person closest to her.

"You, miss?"

Of the twelve students, most seemed to write short stories or novels. There were three playwrights and a poet, but all the rest were novelists.

Dr Farley spoke to them for twenty minutes on what he called "the rules of good writing" and then sat down at his desk.

"You all had to submit a piece of writing when you applied to this class. Obviously, you showed some talent, otherwise you would not be here tonight. But you had the chance to draft and edit that. I want to see what you can do in an hour. I will collect them at the end of the lesson and in our next class, a peer will read it and offer critique. _Constructive_ critique. I want you to write about a powerful memory. Your time starts now."

Elphaba bit her lip as she stared at the blank page facing her. A powerful memory… what memory did she have that was good enough to make a good story?

Her classmates didn't seem to have the difficulty she was having in thinking of ideas, they were all scribbling away and Elphaba felt a momentary burst of panic rise in her chest as she looked around the room. And then it came to her. The first time she'd ever visited the Emerald City, for her tenth birthday. It was the first birthday Elphaba had ever festivated, and one of her most cherished memories. If she could re-create that feeling of magic and wonder she'd felt the first time she'd seen the emerald skyline, even a shadow of it, maybe she'd feel like she belonged in the class.

Once she lost herself in her memories, Elphaba quite forgot about the time limit and she actually jumped when Dr Farley announced their time was up and he would begin collecting papers.

"Thank you, Miss Elphaba," he said as he accepted her pages. "Have a good evening."

"Thank you, sir," she said and packed away her things as her classmates hurried out the door.

A wave of exhaustion washed over her the moment she left the classroom. She hadn't had dinner yet- she'd been too anxious beforehand to eat; but she could have happily crawled into bed then and there, regardless of her empty stomach. But at the same time, her fingers practically itched to keep writing. It was like a muscle that had just been stretched and was eager to keep going, but Elphaba knew her dorm room wasn't the place to do it.

Elphaba checked the time as she passed the large clock in the courtyard. It was only seven o'clock, the library would be open for another two hours. That was more than enough time to get some solid writing done. If she was lucky, she might even finish the chapter she was working on tonight.

She hurried up to her dorm room. Her roommate was sitting at her desk, working on something Elphaba assumed was school work. She glanced over her shoulder when Elphaba entered, glared at her and then returned to her work. Elphaba ignored her and retrieved the chest from under her bed. It was unlocked, and Elphaba paused for a moment. She normally made sure to lock the chest when she was finished working on it, but she had no memory of whether it had been locked the last time she saw it.

Mindful of her precious window of time and inspiration, Elphaba shook her head, retrieved her notebooks and then made for the library. All without a word to the other girl.

Writing in the library wasn't completely ideal. Elphaba didn't like writing in such an open space, it left her feeling very exposed and unsettled. But she had barely gotten to work on her novel at all since arriving at Shiz, and it was such a relief to be _inspired_ and to _want_ to write that the words simply poured out of her and she felt she could have written her greatest work while standing in the middle of a crowded room under a spotlight right then.

Her pen dashed across the page frantically, and she was utterly at ease as she scribbled away. It was one of those glorious writing sessions when she was able to forget the world around her and the very passing of time and so she jumped a mile as a bell rang out.

"It's nine o'clock. The library is closing," a voice rang out. "Please leave and return to your dorms."

Elphaba glanced over and saw the librarian walking through the stacks to shuffle people towards the doors. She hadn't really had a run in with the librarian yet, but the stories around campus about her were almost as bad as the ones about the Headmistress.

"Stay on her good side," had been Ottah's only advice to Elphaba and Nessa.

Elphaba intended to do just that, so she was careful not to dawdle in following instructions.

She paused and scribbled a note to herself in the margin, so she would- hopefully- remember her train of thought when she picked it back up and then quickly shoved her notebooks and supplies back into her bag.

Elphaba returned her eyeglasses to their case and rubbed at the bridge of her nose. A pleasant tiredness filled her limbs, as though she'd just emerged from a warm bath. It was the kind of ache that only came from a good writing session and she knew she'd sleep well tonight.

She started to head out of the study area towards the main doors, her mind still on her characters and their world. Sometimes when a writing session was interrupted before she came to a natural break in the story or got stuck, it was like trying to remember the details of a vivid dream after waking. That is, almost impossible. Elphaba so lost in her thoughts that she jumped again when a loud thud brought her firmly back to reality.

She looked around and saw nothing, so she shook it off and kept walking. More sounds of movement made her pause again, and she peered cautiously down the next aisle and saw a boy scrambling to pick up a pile of books from the floor.

Elphaba hesitated, sighed and then slowly walked over to him.

"Can I help?"

The boy looked up and froze. Elphaba thought she recognised the boy from orientation. He'd been one of the ones cowering in fear from her, if she remembered correctly.

For a moment, Elphaba thought he'd be frozen forever. And then he swallowed hard and squeaked out, "Th-thank you."

Elphaba knelt down and grabbed some of the books closest to her. They were all law and economic textbooks.

"Are you studying Law or Economics?" she asked him, trying to make conversation and perhaps trying to prove she wasn't quite as terrifying as she appeared to be.

She didn't think she'd seen him in her law class.

The boy looked startled. "Er, Ec-Economics," he mumbled. "Finance."

"And you're looking at taxation laws?" Elphaba observed, rather impressed.

The boy reddened as they rose to their feet with the books in their arms. "No. But I've been trying to understand them. For research."

Elphaba placed the books on a nearby cart to be re-shelved and they headed for the door.

"I have to write an article for the paper," the boy contributed, following in Elphaba's wake. "To follow the Munchkinland Governor campaign, you know? But I don't understand the tax laws to know what each candidate is saying about it."

Elphaba faltered in her steps and glanced at him. "You're covering the election?"

The boy looked miserable as he nodded. "Yeah. I don't even know why I got the story. I should have joined up as a photographer. I at least know how to take a photo."

Elphaba was silent, her mind working furiously.

"I- I could help?" she spoke almost unconsciously.

The boy looked surprised. "Really? You understand it all?"

"I should hope so, considering I'm the Governor's daughter," Elphaba said dryly.

She made a point of trying to understand all her father's policies. Not to mention, this election would be the first she could legally vote in.

Her companion turned red again. "Oh, right."

Elphaba paused, took a deep breath and then offered her hand to him. "Elphaba Thropp."

He eyed it warily, swallowed hard and then tentatively shook her hand. "Boq. Boq Underhill."

He let go of her hand very quickly and Elphaba lowered hers slowly. She watched his hand surreptitiously, but he didn't make a move to wipe it on his side, which was something at least. It would not have been the first time it had happened.

"From Munchkinland?" Elphaba guessed.

He nodded. "Y-yes, ma'am. Nest Hardings."

It was the same region as Colwen Grounds, so they were practically neighbours.

" _Ma'am?"_ Elphaba repeated, her eyebrows high. "Well, I guess that's better than ' _green freak',"_ she added, mostly to herself.

Then she sighed. "Look, if you want some help, I'll be in the _Gazette_ office tomorrow afternoon. Two o'clock."

"You're on the paper too?"

"For now," Elphaba said tiredly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight. And thank you," Boq called after her quietly as she headed in the direction of Crage Hall.

Elphaba wasn't sure if he'd actually come. In fact, she would have been willing to bet that he wouldn't show.

Yet the following afternoon as she sat at her desk, there came the sound of someone nervously clearing their throat and she looked up to see Boq standing there nervously.

"Hi," he said awkwardly. "I was wondering. Would you still mind-"

Elphaba shook her head, cutting him off. "Grab a seat," she invited him.

She then spent the next forty minutes walking him through it all, until he had enough to write his article.

"Could I get a quote from you? For the article?" Boq asked as they were wrapping up.

"I don't think my father would want me commenting on his policies to the press," Elphaba replied.

"Didn't you just-?"

"All I gave you were the facts. You have to let the readers make up their own mind about which candidate is right."

Boq looked at the notes he'd taken, looking rather lost. "Right."

"You don't want to be a reporter, do you?" she asked him.

"Not really," he admitted.

"Then why join the paper?"

Boq reddened. "I, er… I thought it would be good to meet… people."

Elphaba eyed him sceptically. It didn't seem like the whole story.

"Right."

Boq got up and started to walk away, before turning back. "Thank you."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "You're welcome."

Elphaba stayed for another fifteen minutes, until the newsroom suddenly erupted in noise. Her head jerked up, thinking something exciting must have happened. Breaking news, perhaps.

But when she peered around the corner to see into the centre of the newsroom, she saw the blonde girl from orientation with her posse surrounding Rais.

Elphaba had since remembered her name- Galinda. She was in her History class which she'd had that morning, and she had taken umbrage with Dr Dillamond over the mispronunciation of her name. One of her followers was Milla, in Elphaba's Creative Writing class. The other two girls were also in her History class, but she couldn't remember their names.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, watching the blonde bat her eyelashes at Rais and wrap a curl around her fingers. She'd read the rest of the paper that morning in between classes, including Galinda's article that Rais had mentioned.

Her "opinion piece" on the "injustice" of the university dress code hadn't been the most thrillifying thing Elphaba had even read, but from what she could tell, it was getting people talking.

Elphaba's own piece on the Astronomy club… not so much. At least that she'd heard. But as far as she'd figured during her research, the Astronomy club only consisted of about four people. Not exactly a huge audience.

Elphaba packed up her things to leave, deciding the noise the girls were making wasn't worth avoiding her dorm room. As she headed out, she passed Boq, who was standing around near Rais's desk.

"Good luck with the article," she said to him, but he didn't appear to hear her.

He was staring across the room at something, and when Elphaba followed his line of sight, found Galinda Upland right in the middle of it. Elphaba rolled her eyes again.

"Good way to meet people, my ass," she muttered and left the room.

 **AN. And now we have Boq! How are we liking the paper stuff so far? Fun Fact: this was something I put in the story and then got so far, and realised just how important it was to the story as a whole, as if I'd planned it that way the whole time (I had not).**

 **One thing I haven't mentioned so far- there's a lot of bits in this fic that could have been scenes but I didn't write because it would slow the story down, especially as we go further into the story. Deleted scenes, if you will. If there's something mentioned that is not a scene and you think you'd like to read about it, let me know in a review and I may just do it. I'll try and mention examples as they come up, if I remember.**


	5. Chapter 05

**AN. Sorry this is a little later than usual- had trouble getting a chance to post this. But you guys, I got to see Celine Dion live this weekend. Celine Dion. LIVE. _My Heart Will Go On_ was the first single I ever owned (I was like 7/8) so this was a dream come true I never knew I had. It was amazing. And then, I got tickets for _Harry Potter and the Cursed Child_ in Australia for next year (part of the reason for the delay. Getting tickets was STRESSFUL).**

 **Chapter 5**

" _Dearest Papa, Anna and Tom,_

 _I can't believe we've almost been at Shiz for a month. It's gone so fast, especially now that we're really settling into classes._

 _First things first- it took me nearly three weeks, but I have finally learned my roommate's name. Pinar. No, she didn't finally deem me worthy of an introduction. One of her friends came to call when she wasn't here, and I was able to deduce the question of "Is Pinar here?" was referring to her. As you can see, this university education is already paying off._

 _I haven't yet managed to learn her last name, what she's studying or where she is from, but a first name is something, right?_

 _I'm very happy with all my classes, but I don't think I can pick a favourite. My Law classes are by far the most interesting and have the most interesting discussions; but my favourite teacher is Dr Dillamond, who teaches History. He's a Goat, and the only Animal on the faculty and he's so passionate about his subject. I'll be taking extra History classes next semester I think. Literature is good, but it is a lot of reading… yet somehow my Law classes have more? My Writing class is… interesting, but I can't say it's quite what I expected._

 _It's also the class that expects the most in terms of working with your peers, which is rather difficult in my case._

 _That's not to say I haven't made any friends… so to speak. The editor of the paper and I are on quite good terms, and there's a Munchkin boy on the paper who has been given the desk next to mine and to whom I speak to sometimes. I wouldn't call either of them friends, really, but it's nice to have someone (other than Nessa) to talk to. It did take Boq a whole week to stop being utterly terrified of me though. I initially thought he was simply put off by my skin, but it turns out he'd heard stories about the Sorcery lessons I had with Madame Taika._

 _After a week of conversations, he was evidently confident enough that I'm not about to turn him into a cockroach at the drop of a hat. Conversation has been much easier since then._

 _He's a peculiar case, Boq. His family are farmers of many generations and he is the first in the family to attend university. Yet, despite hopes and plans to eventually take over the family farm, he's studying Economics (majoring in Finance) and Business. Apparently, his parents have sent him to Shiz to get a degree in something that could be a back up career?_

 _His father thinks there's nothing university can teach him about farming and agriculture that he can't learn from the family, but he should have some qualifications "in case", which I suppose means "if the farm goes under." Not a bad idea, but while he's interested in Economics, he's far more passionate about farming._

 _I'm haven't yet had the chance, but I'm tempted to introduce him to Nessa, so he has someone else to talk to about the harvest. Nessa cares- or can pretend to care- much more adequately than I can. We're all in the same History class, but Boq really doesn't chat beyond the paper. He's rather skittish. Or perhaps he's just shy, I'm not sure._

 _I don't know how much Nessa had told you herself, but she's settled in quite well. She's made several friends, all fellow arty types like she is. They are perfectly civil to me, which Nessa and I are content with for a starting point._

 _I know you expected me to live in the library, Papa, but I promise you I'm not. I will admit I'm spending much of my time in the newspaper office, which is an environment much more conducive to study and writing in my mind._

 _I'm loving working on the paper. I'm enclosing my latest two articles for you to read- there's a piece on the blood drive the campus Red Cross group is having; and an interview with Dr Mustard, the Philosophy teacher who was nominated Most Popular Teacher last year by the students. I actually ended up talking with him for another two hours after the interview, and I'm actually considering taking one of his classes next semester if I can work it into my course load._

 _Rais, the student editor of The Gazette_ _seems to really love my writing. He thinks I have a "gift for interviews" which is something I didn't expect to hear. He's really helping me improve my article writing skills and gives me great feedback. If I ever finish this novel, I may even consider asking him to edit it for me._

 _The novel is going well, I think. I'm currently stuck on chapter seventeen, however, which is why I thought I'd take this opportunity to write to you. I have a possible title too- "Lined with Luck". What do you think?_

 _I'm still not certain, but it's better than anything I've thought up so far. I know I definitely want "Luck" in there somehow, it being the central concept of the story and all. I ran it past Nessa and she liked it- although we admitted it's hard to judge if it's an effective title when she knows so little of the book. But she did say if she saw the title in a bookstore, she'd be intrigued to at least read the blurb. She still can't get past the fact that the story is about luck, "which you don't even believe in."_

 _I've tried to explain to her (again) that it's not exactly true, but I get nowhere with her. Not relying on luck or thinking you can manipulate luck is not the same thing as not believing in it, is it?_

 _I don't have much other news, I'm afraid. But I have my first assignment due this week, and it's calling my name, so I'll end this here. I hope everything at home is well._

 _I love you all and miss you dearly._

 _Love,_

 _Elphaba."_

Annalie looked up from her sewing at her husband, once he'd finished reading the letter aloud, but made no comment

"What? Why are you frowning?"

Frex blinked and met her gaze in confusion.

"What?"

"Why are you frowning?" Annalie repeated, laughing a little. "She sounds like she's doing well."

Frex folded up the letter slowly. "She's working too hard. And who are all these _boys_ she mentions?"

Annalie rolled her eyes. "Her editor and a Munchkin boy who was terrified of her until recently?"

Frex narrowed his eyes at the letter again. "She spent over two hours talking to a teacher."

"About _philosophy!"_

Annalie sighed and put down her sewing. "Frex, honestly. Neither of the girls are ever going to bring home a boyfriend at this rate."

"Good," Frex muttered darkly.

"You don't mean that. Or you do, but only about Elphaba."

Frex looked surprised. "What?"

"You'd be fine if Nessa married, because it means she'd be taken care of. As long as she married someone who _could_ take care of her and provide for her. Whereas Elphaba, no one is ever going to be good enough for her in your mind."

Frex chuckled and folded the letter up once more. "That's ridiculous, dear."

Annalie smiled but didn't argue. "Hmm. Sure. What does Nessa write?"

Frex pulled out the letter in question and scanned it.

"Let's see. _My dearest family…"_

Nessa's news was less about her classes and more about her friends and what she was doing. It was also shorter than her sister's letter had been.

" _Have you been reading Elphaba's articles?"_ she wrote. " _They're simply wonderful, I find. Her last article was an interview with a teacher, and_ everyone _on campus was talking about how great it was. If Elphaba doesn't send you a copy, let me know. I have multiple copies. I have this idea that I'll make a scrapbook of all her articles and give it to her when we graduate._

 _At the moment, she hasn't said anything to me about taking journalism classes and she still intends to become a lawyer. But I wouldn't be surprised if she does change her mind and decide to become a journalist instead. She loves it. Maybe she could do both? There are journalists with Law degrees, aren't there? That report on the big cases and such?_

 _Maybe you should suggest it to her, Papa. She'd possibly think about it more seriously if it came from you."_

"It's not a bad idea," Frex allowed, looking up at his wife. "She does write very well."

He scanned the rest of the letter. "The end of it is just about a dance that's coming up next month. Her first dance, she's so excited… Fabala's going to take her to dinner for her birthday."

He sighed heavily. Nessarose's eighteenth birthday, and hence the anniversary of Melena's death, was in a little over two weeks. It was always a tough day for Frex and Elphaba, but not having Nessa at home was going to make it extra difficult for Frex.

"That reminds me," Annalie said. "I need to post her birthday present to her. I want to post it by the end of the week to make sure it gets to her in time. Do you want to write on the card or shall I?"

"I'll do it in the morning," Frex replied, stifling a yawn. "I'm going to head up, I think."

Annalie nodded. "I won't be far behind you," she assured him. "Can you check on Tomaz on your way, please?"

Frex nodded and left the room, leaving the letters from the girls on the end table next to her.

Annalie put down her sewing and reached for the letters to read for herself. Her opinion didn't change of either- Elphaba sounded like she was enjoying herself, although Annalie wished she'd made a friend or two; and Nessa seemed to be making a few friends, but Annalie would have liked a little more information on her classes.

Inside the envelope with Elphaba's letter were copies of her articles and Annalie smiled as she read them. Nessa was right, the interview with the philosophy teacher was very well done. Dr Mustard hadn't been there in Annalie's own Shiz days. She made a mental note to show it to Ottah when she next saw him and get his impressions.

It was so odd not having the girls home, the family had found. Tomaz in particular, seemed surprised at how much he missed his sisters- although evidently not enough to write to them.

At least Nikita was sympathetic.

"It's hard when the children start to leave the nest, and you lost two at once," she'd said to Annalie.

"It does get easier, I promise. And then they come home, get married and give you grandchildren."

Annalie had only laughed at that. "Hopefully that's many years away. I think Frex would like them to come back home and stay for another few years. I've never seen him look so lost as he did when he missed that first lunch with Elphaba."

It had been amusing to see the least.

Annalie now made herself a mental note to ask Nessa to send her more copies of Elphaba's articles. She'd have to send her parents a copy, she was sure. Her parents had written to her only yesterday and asked for an update on how the girls were going at Shiz. Maybe she should talk to Frex about inviting them for Lurlinemas, then they could get all the news from the girls firsthand.

Nessa's birthday fell on a Thursday that year. Elphaba met her sister at her dorm room to meet her sister for breakfast as usual but insisted on going into town to eat.

"You can't have dining hall food on your birthday," Elphaba insisted.

"The dining hall food isn't that bad," Nessa protested.

"No, but it's not Papa's waffles either," Elphaba pointed out.

"That's very true," Nessarose sighed.

"Have you opened the presents from home yet?"

"Not yet. I was worried it would make me homesick, so I thought I'd wait until after my classes are done for the day," Nessa admitted.

Elphaba squeezed her shoulder gently. "We can do it after dinner if you'd like some company? I've got a little something for you anyway."

Nessa nodded, a little tearfully. "I'd like that."

They ate breakfast at _The Wilted Rose._ Neither had a class until ten o'clock that morning, so they were able to linger over their food a little more than usual, before they headed over to the History building for the one class they shared together.

Elphaba was almost sure History would be her favourite class, if not for the fact it contained Galinda Upland and two of her cronies. The class also contained Boq, although he rarely spoke to her more than a polite hello. Once he'd asked to borrow a pen, but that was about the extent of their conversation beyond the _Gazette_ office.

"Did you do the reading for class?" Nessa asked her sister as they approached the History building. "I tried, but I don't think it made any sense."

"It wasn't the most thrillifying read," Elphaba had to agree. "I'm sure Dr Dillamond's lecture today will clear things up."

They took their usual seats and waited for the rest of the class to join them. Boq entered the room not long after, glanced around and approached Elphaba.

"Er, Elphaba?"

Elphaba glanced up from the reading she'd been skimming once more. "Hi."

"Hi. You weren't at the _Gazette_ meeting this morning. Will you be in the newsroom this afternoon?"

Elphaba nodded, she'd already told Rais she would miss the meeting, and he'd been very understanding about the matter.

"I'll be there for a bit. I need to see Rais for my next assignment. My last class finishes at one. Why?"

"I saw Rais this morning and he was asking, that's all. I guess he wants to give you your assignment."

"I'll try and stop by before my Contract Law class if he was asking for me," Elphaba said.

She glanced at her sister. "You still have lunch plans, don't you?"

Nessa nodded. "Yes, with some girls from my Sociology class. I'm fine," she reassured her.

Elphaba turned back to Boq. "Thanks, Boq. You know my sister, don't you? Nessa, this is Boq. Boq, Nessarose. It's her birthday today."

She was sure they must, considering they shared a class, but Elphaba couldn't remember them ever being introduced.

"Oh," Boq replied. "Uh, Happy Birthday."

Nessa smiled warmly at the Munchkin. "Thank you. I read your article in the _Gazette_ yesterday about why everyone should get their flu shots. I thought it was very interesting. I'm afraid I'm not very good with needles, but I'm going to make sure I get a flu shot now."

Boq reddened. "Thanks," he muttered. "I, uh, I'm new to the whole writing thing. But I'm trying."

"I think writing is a good skill to have," Nessa said. "Is it true you're from Nest Hardings?"

"Er, y-yes," Boq stammered.

"Do you miss home?" Nessa asked him wistfully.

"Yes," Boq answered readily, more emotion colouring his tone than Elphaba had ever heard from him before.

"It's harvest time and I keep thinking…"

Elphaba tuned out the conversation and returned to her reading. Agriculture was important to the Munchkinland economy, but that didn't mean she had any interest in the topic. She only looked up again when Dr Dillamond arrived, faintly surprised to find Boq had taken a seat behind them and was deep in conversation with Nessarose about their hometown.

"Good morning, class!" Dr Dillamond greeted them. "Can you all take your seats, please?"

The lecture went quickly, aside from what had become the usual occurrence of Galinda arguing with their teacher over the pronunciation of her name.

"Does Galinda _really_ need to take up our class time with this?" Elphaba complained to Nessa at the end of class. "Because unless there's going to be a question on our final exam about how to pronounce her name, _I_ don't give a crap."

"I don't know," Boq spoke up. "I'd be kind of annoyed if someone kept pronouncing my name wrong when I kept correcting them."

"Then see Dr Dillamond about it afterwards. Don't distract from the lecture."

Elphaba swung her bookbag over her shoulder and stood up, almost walking into Galinda and her friends as they approached the classroom door.

"Watch where you're going, _green bean,"_ Pfannee sneered at her.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Original," she muttered under her breath.

Galinda arched an eyebrow at her. "Uh, that means _move._ Does your skin tone affect your hearing?"

"Weird, I always thought _'Can you please move?'_ means _'move',"_ Elphaba replied.

She crossed her arms over her chest and waited expectantly.

Galinda gritted her teeth and heaved a sigh, tapping her heeled foot impatiently.

"Could you please move?" she finally said stiffly.

Elphaba politely took a step to the side so that the girls could pass.

Galinda and her friends passed by without so much as a thank you, their noses in the air.

"You're welcome," Elphaba snarked helpfully.

Galinda ignored her.

"Er, Miss G-Galinda?" Boq spoke up hesitantly.

Galinda turned and flashed him a polite smile. "Yes, Bick?"

The Munchkin boy stepped forward and held out a pen. "It's Boq," he said awkwardly. "You dropped this."

Galinda took the pen from him. "Oh, thank you, Bick! That's so kind of you," she beamed, which made him turn red.

Then she tossed her curls over her shoulder and led her friends away.

Elphaba stared at Boq exasperatedly. "If that's your annoyed face, remind me not to get on your bad side," she said sarcastically and bid farewell to Nessa and Boq and headed for the _Gazette_ office, hoping Rais was there. He was, but the assignment he had for her wasn't exactly ideal.

"You want me to cover the football game?" she asked sceptically.

"You know the drill, Elphaba. You do stories for every area this semester and then, with any luck, make staff."

"I know," Elphaba said quickly. "I'm just… sport is a little out of my comfort zone."

"You'll be fine, I'm sure," Rais replied confidently. "By Monday. Five hundred words."

Elphaba sighed and left the room with a frown. She'd been to exactly one football game in her entire life, and as that had only consisted of watching Ottah and his brothers play with some friends in the park, she doubted that would help much. He'd tried to explain the rules to her, but she'd only been twelve and couldn't have cared less, if she were honest.

The game was on Saturday, she mused thoughtfully. Even if she sent Ottah an express to invite him to the game, he wouldn't make it in time.

She wondered absently if Boq knew anything about football. She doubted it. Nessa knew even less than she did.

When she met Nessa at her room to go dinner that night, she was still frowning slightly. Nessa noticed immediately but misread her expression.

"Are you ok? Do you not feel up to dinner?" she asked anxiously. "Is it about Momma?"

Elphaba chuckled faintly. "Nessie, it's not about Momma," she reassured her. "I'm ok. I'm just thinking. I'll explain over dinner. Are you ready?"

Nessa looked doubtful but nodded. "Yes, I'm ready. Where should we eat?"

"It's _your_ birthday. You choose. Come on, we'll go into town and you can pick a place."

Elphaba told her sister about the assignment she'd been given as they headed into town, and Nessa laughed. Rather too hard than was necessary, Elphaba thought.

"What's your plan? Go to the library and get a book on the rules of football?" she asked through giggles.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I considered it," she admitted it. "But, I mean, how much of the game do I actually need to understand to write the article? As long as I know the score and some of the player's names, I can wing it. Right?"

"Well… I suppose so."

"Why don't you come to the game with me?" Elphaba suggested. "If it gets dire, you can ask the people next to us what's happening. Because Oz knows, they won't answer if _I_ ask them."

Nessa wrinkled her nose. "Go to a football game? Really?"

"It's part of the whole university experience Ima wants us to have," Elphaba said coaxingly.

It was Nessa's turn to roll her eyes. "Fine, fine, I'll come."

"Thank you! I owe you for this," Elphaba squeezed her shoulder gratefully.

Nessa chose _Cocoa Lily_ for dinner, which was popular with Shiz students. It was right next to _The OzDust_ and had a more varied menu than _The Wilted Rose,_ without being terribly expensive.

"Should we invite Boq?" Nessa asked as they ate.

Elphaba blinked in surprise. "Boq? Nessie, I've got to be honest, he doesn't strike me as a football fan."

Nessarose, to Elphaba's surprise, appeared to be blushing. "You never know…"

Elphaba arched an eyebrow. "Boq made an impression in History this morning, did he?"

Nessa's blush deepened. "I just thought he was nice. And it was nice to be able to talk about home with someone."

"And Xia and I are what? Chopped liver?"

Nessa rolled her eyes. "Fabala."

Elphaba laughed. "Ok, we can ask him. He may not want to sit with the green-"

" _Elphaba."_

She sighed. "We'll ask him tomorrow, ok? But I'm just warning you, every time I see him he's mooning over Galinda Upland. Did you not _see_ him today? I don't think he's even noticed that you're a human being, let alone a girl."

Nessa chose to ignore her sister. "I'm sure Xia will come to the game. She might understand it too."

"What does Xia even do all day?" Elphaba asked. "Taking care of you doesn't take that long. What does she do the rest of the time?"

"She's doing her own studies," Nessa answered. "A graduate degree in Physiotherapy. Didn't I tell you that?"

"You may have," Elphaba admitted.

"You just weren't listening," Nessa said knowingly.

Her sister laughed. "You know not to tell me important things while I'm writing!" she defended herself.

As they ate, Nessa told her about her lunch with her friends, the gifts they'd given her and how they'd surprised her with a small cake. A warmth spread through Elphaba and she smiled as she saw the happiness in her sister's face.

She knew what it meant to Nessa to have made friends. She'd been home-schooled for so long as a child that by the time Annalie convinced their father to let her attend school with her peers, they'd already formed friendship groups. Between that, her chair and the other children's wariness of Elphaba, she'd never really made any close friends.

When they finished eating, they returned to campus and Nessa went to her room so that she could open her gifts, while Elphaba dashed upstairs to grab her gift from her room.

"Hi, Xia," Nessa greeted her caregiver.

"Good evening, Nessa," Xia replied. "Do you need anything?"

Nessa shook her head. "Elphaba and I just going to open my gifts and then I need to do some reading for my Evian Language class before bed."

Xia nodded and settled herself into a chair with a book, as Elphaba returned.

"How's Pinar?" Nessa asked, seeing the irritation on her face.

Elphaba made a face. "I swear, every time I enter the room I expect her to have put a line of tape down the middle of the room and tell me that I can't cross it."

Nessa chuckled.

"At least if she does, the jokes on her. The door would be on _my_ side of the room," Elphaba continued, flopping down on her sister's bed and handing her a gift. "She'd have the bathroom, but at least I could just use yours."

"If it's any consolation," Nessa said. "She's in my Sociology class, and she's just as horrendible to everyone there as she seems to be you."

"It's not really. Open your gift," Elphaba ordered her.

Nessa obeyed, finding a book she'd seen in town a few weeks ago and something else. "A dress catalogue?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I thought if you wanted, I could make you a dress for the dance next month."

Nessa's face lit up. "Really?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Really. I noted your _frequent_ complaints about being unable to find something to wear. You know, ever since the dance was announced."

Nessa laughed. "Thank you, Fabala. It's a wonderful gift."

Elphaba shrugged. "No big deal. You pick the pattern, we'll get some material and I'll make it up. It shouldn't take long."

Frex and Annalie had sent her a basket of bath and beauty products, a camera and a scrapbook.

' _For all your university memories'_ Annalie wrote on a note inside. ' _May this be a most memorable epoch of your life, sweetheart. Love, Ima and Papa.'_

Tomaz had included something too, a small box of Nessa's favourite chocolates and a small card.

' _Dear Nessa. Happy birthday. Love, Tomaz.'_

"It's so heartfelt," Elphaba said dryly, upon reading the card.

Nessa laughed, a little choked up. "I miss home," she admitted.

"Lurlinemas isn't that far away," Elphaba consoled her. "And if you break it down into smaller things, it'll go so much faster. Like the dance. Focus on that. Then worry about your finals for the end of the semester."

Nessa nodded. "Yeah, ok. Are you going to go to the dance?"

Elphaba snorted. "Don't be ridiculous."

"But you said you owed me for going to the game," Nessa protested.

"Not that," Elphaba shot down immediately. "What would I do at a dance, Nessa? If I want to spend a night with a bunch of people who either make fun of me or are afraid of me, I don't need to get dressed up for that."

"It would be fun," Nessa tried to persuade her.

"And you'll have a lot of fun with your friends," Elphaba replied. She leaned over to hug her sister.

"Night, Nessie. I love you. Happy birthday!"

Nessa sighed as her sister left the room.

 **AN. Elphaba writing about a football game... the mental image was far too amazing to pass up tossing that idea in! Let's just say she doesn't have a future as a sports writer.**


	6. Chapter 06

**AN. People who follow me on social media- do we like the review thing I'm doing? Because like, I enjoy making them, but I don't want to bore you all...**

 **Also, I have to ask- what were you all picturing exactly when I said "football"? I quite liked that it covered a few different things, but I'm curious what you all pictured.**

 **Chapter 6**

One Wednesday night in early November, Galinda sat with Pfannee and Shen-Shen in _The Wilted Rose,_ waiting for Milla to join them after her creative writing class let out.

"It's a quarter past seven already," Pfannee complained. "How much longer do we have to wait?"

"She'll be here," Galinda said patiently. "Give her time."

Pfannee sighed and continued to grumble under her breath. Galinda kind of understood. It was dark and cold, and growing colder every week. But the dining hall on campus was only open until seven, which wasn't convenient for Milla's schedule.

Milla arrived a few minutes later, taking the seat next to Galinda.

"It's _so_ cold out there!" she exclaimed, taking off her coat.

"We'll get you some coffee," Galinda said, summoning the waiter with a mere glance.

"Oh, your face is all red," Shen-Shen said sympathetically. "Poor thing."

"Were you _crying?!"_ demanded Pfannee, squinting at her face.

Milla nodded, digging into her purse for a compact to inspect her face. "Yeah."

The waiter approached the table and Milla didn't even glance at the menu. "I'll take a large hot chocolate with extra chocolate and cream, and a piece of pie," she ordered.

"I'm starving," she explained to the girls, almost apologetically.

"Why were you crying?" Galinda asked with a slight frown.

"Dr Farley read us a poem in class tonight, and it just made me cry. It made a lot of people cry, actually," Milla told them.

Shen-Shen's eyes were wide. "Wow."

Milla glanced around the café and lowered her voice. "You know Elphaba?"

"Who?" Galinda asked blankly.

"The green girl?"

The blonde sniffed, wrinkling her nose. "Oh. _Her._ What about her?"

"It was _her_ poem. She wrote it."

"What was it about?" Shen-Shen asked.

"How it's not easy being green," Pfannee sniggered and Galinda and Shen-Shen giggled.

The waiter returned with Milla's order and she thanked him politely, taking a mouthful of pie before answering.

"Well, the assignment was to write about a moment of change and reflection. She wrote this poem about an old tree that had fallen in the middle of the forest, and new trees were growing in its place as time passes and eventually none of them remember the old tree. It was _so_ sad."

"None of the trees remember? How do they know that?" Shen-Shen frowned.

"Well, the trees talk to one another," Milla explained. "There was this line… oh shoot, what was it? ' _Leaves fall and with it, another picture of what once was fades to mulch beneath the forest floor…'_ It was better than that, I can't remember now. I was crying too much to memorise it. But anyway, the trees tell one another stories."

"But trees don't talk."

"They do in some parts of Munchkinland," Milla said. "I have an aunt there. My brothers and I used to visit them with our cousins when we stayed with her."

"So they were Munchkinland trees?" Pfannee wrinkled her nose.

"I don't think so," Milla frowned. "I think they were just normal trees."

"But then how did they talk?" Shen-Shen demanded.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "It's just _poetry._ Nothing makes sense. Can we let Milla eat so we can go back to campus, please?"

Pfannee immediately changed the subject to the upcoming dance at the _OzDust,_ and Galinda and Shen-Shen chatted away excitedly.

It seemed all of campus was talking about the dance, and Galinda was trying to convince Rais to let her cover it for the _Gazette._

"For some reason, he doesn't think it's news," she complained.

Pfannee still didn't understand why the blonde would even want to be on the paper's staff.

"I _told_ you," Galinda repeated for the millionth time. "If I write all these articles and get on the staff, Rais might give me an advice column. I have _so_ much good advice to help people, and I'm sure more people are reading the paper now that I'm on it," she said with a toss of her hair.

"Your articles are the only ones worth reading," Pfannee assured her loyally. "It's the only reason _I_ read it."

Milla swallowed the mouthful of pie she was eating. "What kind of advice?"

"Fashion or dating, obviously. The two subjects I know the most about."

"But, you get all your dating advice from the Bible," Shen-Shen pointed out. "You said that book has all the answers. Why would people ask you for dating advice when they can just read the book?"

Galinda was prone to frequently quoting her favourite dating guide, _Like a Moth to a Flame,_ known among her friends as 'The Bible' _._ And in her friends, she had a captive audience for all the gospel she was willing to spout.

She ignored Shen-Shen's valid question now and waved her hand dismissively.

"That rag deserves a little class, don't you think? I mean, Oz, it's so _boring._ Maybe if it does well, one day I can even have a fashion or advice column in _OzBeat Magazine,"_ she said dreamily. "Wouldn't that be thrillifying?"

Pfannee's eyes lit up. "Did you see that interview in this month's _OzBeat_ with Jaron Beart? The tennis player? He's _gorgeous._ And single. He said so in the article."

She and Shen-Shen started debating the pros and cons of dating an athlete, while Milla finished her meal.

Galinda sat there in silence, staring out of the window and partly daydreaming about the dance, and partly hoping it wasn't going to snow before then. She had a new dress and new shoes for the occasion, and snow would completely ruin the look she was going for.

Elphaba seemed to be the only person on campus not going to the dance, and although she wanted Nessa to have a wonderful time and spent every spare moment she had between classes and the paper in Nessa's room working on her sister's dress; she was heartily sick of hearing about it everywhere she went.

The Thursday before the dance, at the weekly _Gazette_ staff meeting, Galinda thrust her hand into the air the moment started to ask if there was any other business, as she had at every meeting since the dance was announced.

Elphaba internally groaned, knowing what was coming, but Rais merely smiled at her. "Yes, Galinda?"

"I want to write about the dance," Galinda said. "There's a _story_ here, Rais. I know there is."

"Yes, I can see the headline now," Elphaba said sarcastically. _"Students Festivate a Random Saturday in November._ Front page news, I'm sure."

Some students sniggered, but Galinda glared at her.

"I do hope you're not going, _Elphaba._ You'll complete clash with the décor of the evening."

"I have a life," Elphaba muttered.

Galinda snorted sceptically. "As a tree frog, maybe."

" _Alright,"_ Rais cut in hastily, before Elphaba could respond. "Galinda, see me at my desk and we'll discuss the story. Any other business?"

No one else raised their hand, so he nodded.

"Alright. Dismissed."

Elphaba grabbed her things and left the _Gazette_ office. She had an hour and a half before her History class, and she could use the time to do some more work on Nessa's dress.

Despite Nessa's attempts to convince her sister to come, Elphaba steadfastly refused. Nessarose even went so far as to write to Annalie and ask her to convince Elphaba to go, but Elphaba could be stubborn when she chose to be and Annalie knew when to let an issue drop.

' _There'll be other dances,'_ Annalie wrote back to Nessarose. ' _Let her skip this one, and maybe she'll consider the next one. You both went to a football game (which I'm very impressed with), and she's joined the paper. I never expected you both to conquer every aspect of university life in one semester. I just didn't want you to spend three years living in your dorm rooms.'_

Elphaba did agree, however, to come by the room while Nessa got herself ready for the dance. Even if she wasn't going to the dance, Elphaba was still looking forward to the night ahead. Pinar was going to the dance, which meant Elphaba would have a blissful night to herself in her room.

"A whole night to write," she said happily, as Nessa applied her makeup. "And I can write in my nightgown, on my bed, with snacks. It's going to be _amazing."_

"I thought you were able to write at your desk at the _Gazette?"_ Nessa asked.

"I can, but it's not quite the same," she sighed. "I wish I'd agreed to let Papa pay for a private room for me."

"I'm sure next year he'll arrange it for you if you ask."

"Yeah, but then it feels like giving up," Elphaba complained.

"But living with Pinar is making you miserable," Nessa argued, putting down her lipstick and examining her reflection critically.

Elphaba shrugged. "Yeah, well. Living with Papa for the first ten years of my life made me miserable."

" _Elphaba!"_ Nessa gasped.

Her sister shrugged again. "It's true, isn't it?"

She got off the bed and bent down to kiss her sister's cheek. "You look beautiful. Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow."

Nessa sighed as her sister left. She brushed back a few stray hairs and nervously smoothed the satin skirt of the amethyst coloured dress Elphaba had made for her.

"Are you ready?" Xia asked her, and Nessa nodded eagerly.

They'd arranged it carefully. Xia would walk over to the _OzDust Ballroom_ with her, where they would meet their respective friends, and Nessa would find Xia when she wanted to leave. Nessa felt a little bad at possibly pulling Xia away from the dance before the end of the night, but Xia didn't seem to mind.

"I attended more than a few dances at the _OzDust_ when I did my first degree here," she reminded Nessa as they left the room.

"I won't be devastrated if we leave before the night is over."

They met Nessa's friends in the courtyard and walked into town together, all chattering excitedly. Nessa hadn't been to the _OzDust_ yet, and when she and her friends entered the room, she couldn't help but gaze around in wonder, rendered momentarily speechless.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she breathed to her friend Salmythe, who was standing next to her.

Salmythe looked impressed, but not quite as awed. "It's nice. Shall we dance?"

Nessa cringed at that. "Um, I might get a drink first. You girls go ahead."

The girls headed for the dance floor, while Nessa wheeled herself towards the bar, where the tables were. There was a crowd around the bar and she hesitated, not wanting to get squashed. People either scattered away from her chair or refused her the extra space required to navigate herself around, there was no in between.

"Hi, Nessa."

Nessa jumped slightly, and it took her a moment to register Boq standing at her side.

"Oh, hi! I didn't know you were coming to this?"

Boq looked awkward. "Well, yeah… I thought I'd check it out. See who was here, you know…"

He trailed off as he stared at a spot somewhere over Nessa's head. Looking over her shoulder, Nessa spotted Galinda Upland dancing with a boy she didn't recognise.

"Sure," she said, not sure what else to say.

Boq awkwardly cleared his throat and tore his eyes back to Nessa. "Er, did you want a drink? It's kind of crowded over there."

Nessa smiled gratefully. "That would be great, thank you."

Boq headed off to brave the crowd at the bar, and Nessa turned back to watch everyone dance. Dancing was the thing she regretted missing most, because of her chair. Of course, she'd never known any different, but it always looked like such fun.

For her tenth birthday, Frex and Annalie had taken them to the Emerald City to see a ballet, and both Nessa and Elphaba had been captivated. Frex had even managed to pull some strings to let them meet the prima ballerina after the show.

"Dancing is the closest you can come to flying without wings," she had told Nessa, and she'd never forgotten it.

"You're not dancing?" she asked Boq when he'd returned with her drink.

"I don't really dance," he replied, flushing. "Is Elphaba not with you?"

Nessa smiled. "Elphaba doesn't really like crowds."

Boq nodded. "Right."

They lapsed into an awkward silence. The music changed to a slower song, and both Nessa and Boq watched the dancers for a moment, although Boq's gaze lingered on Galinda and her date much longer than Nessa's did.

Nessa's friends found her not long after, hot and thirsty after dancing for so long. They claimed a table with Nessa, and although she invited Boq to join them, he politely excused himself. The girls were mostly gossiping about who had come with who and commenting on the dresses the other girls were wearing.

"Oh, I love this song!" Salmythe cried suddenly as an upbeat song began playing. "Vic, come dance," she urged Vicnia.

"Ok," Vicnia agreed. "Norfina, are you coming?"

Norfina shook her head. "No, I'm going to sit with Nessa a while longer. My feet are killing me."

Salmythe and Vicnia left for the dance floor, while Norfina sighed and turned to Nessa with a smile.

"Serves me right for wearing new heels to this. Are you having fun, Nessa?"

"I am, but I wish I could dance with you all," Nessa admitted.

Norfina's smile was sympathetic. "I'm going to go freshen up. Come with me?"

Nessa agreed, and they headed to the bathroom.

The bathroom was crowded with girls doing the exact same thing, and Nessa parked her chair in a corner while Norfina pushed her way through to the mirror.

"Oh, hi Nora," said a girl next to her.

"Hi, Shen-Shen," Norfina replied. "Having fun?"

"Oh yeah. The music's great isn't it?"

Norfina nodded. "It is, but I wish I hadn't worn these shoes. I'm going to have enormous blisters tomorrow."

Shen-Shen giggled. "I wore my heels to all my classes for the past two days to break them in. Horrible Morrible wrote me up for it- something about the dress code or a stupid thing like that. Totally worth it though."

Norfina glanced down. "They are beautiful shoes. Don't you think, Nessa?"

Nessa barely got a chance to agree before Shen-Shen positively squealed.

"Oh my Oz, I _love_ your dress! Where did you get it?" she demanded.

Nessa blushed. "Thank you. It was a birthday present from my sister."

"Where did she get it?"

Nessa smiled proudly. "She made it."

Shen-Shen's jaw dropped, but a group of girls entered the bathroom and space became even more limited, so Norfina wheeled Nessa's chair out of the bathroom before the Shen-Shen could say anything.

Nessa did get a small pleasure from the look of shock on Shen-Shen's face, even moreso when she saw the girl whispering to her friends a few minutes later, with all of them sneaking peeks at Nessa from the corner of their eyes. They all knew perfectly well who her sister was, and Nessa half-expected them to come and say something to her, but none of them did.

' _Overall,'_ she wrote to Annalie when she finally got to bed later that night, too wired to actually sleep just yet. ' _I think my first dance was very successful. I got many compliments on my dress, actually. I did feel a little left out at times, I can admit, watching everyone dance; but I still had a lot of fun with my friends.'_

Elphaba was glad Nessarose had enjoyed herself, but she wasn't any more interested in news of the dance after the fact as she had been before it. She was much more concerned with the Munchkinland Governorship Election, which was the Tuesday following the dance, the first in November. Both girls could vote for the first time, which they had done by postal vote. And now all they could do was for the results.

"I wish Rais would have let me cover it for the paper," she complained to Nessa. "But I know it was a conflict of interest."

"Then why do you look so unhappy?"

"Because he gave it to _Lilrith,_ who's this second year from the Quadlings who's majoring in Religious Studies and couldn't care less about Ozian politics. And the worst part is, I'm sure she's _still_ going to write a better article than what Galinda Upland would write, so I guess I should be grateful that _she_ didn't get the story."

Elphaba shook her head in dismay. "Galinda's last article was a review of the university band's recital, three hundred words of it were about why stripes aren't fashionable this year, and _Rais printed it anyway!"_ she exclaimed. "And no one blinks an eye, like that's a perfectly valid observation to make about a musical performance."

Nessa couldn't help but giggle, although Elphaba was not amused.

"Why did Rais print it?" she asked.

"Because she submitted it right before the paper went to bed, as she does _all_ her articles, and there's no time to edit if he wants the paper to get out on time."

Elphaba rubbed her forehead tiredly. "But she'll get on the paper next semester. I know she will. Because she's popular and she gets whatever she wants by batting her eyelashes at guys," she complained.

Nessa was sympathetic but couldn't actually offer much comfort. "You'll get on the paper too, Fabala. Because you're a good writer. I know you don't like Galinda, but you don't see her at the paper much, do you? And you only have one class together. It's not like Pinar, who you're stuck in a room with."

Elphaba sighed. "That's true," she conceded. "Galinda… her entitlement bugs me. And she's _such_ a snob. Anyone with eyes can see Boq's crazy about her, and she must see it too, but she ignores him. Unless she wants him to help her with something for the paper. She calls him _Bick,_ and he doesn't even correct her!"

Although Elphaba had to admit, at least Pinar just ignored her. Galinda made "witty" comments to her friends about Elphaba every time they were in the same room. None of which were actually witty or original. They usually involved comparing Elphaba's skin to other green items and pointing out her lack of friends. Elphaba rather expected higher quality insults from people supposedly earning a university education.

She shuddered. "Living with Pinar is a nightmare, but I can't imagine what it'd be like sharing a room with Galinda."

Nessa didn't like to say anything bad about anyone but had to agree that Elphaba hadn't come off well in the roommate department.

Elphaba was impatient and antsy all of Tuesday, wishing there was a way to get the news of the election faster. It got to the point where even Nessa- who was the most patient person in all of Oz- got annoyed, and readily ditched her sister to eat meals with her friends.

On Wednesday evening, Elphaba was trying to do some reading for one of her Law classes the next day, a task made more difficult than usual as Pinar got ready for a night at the _OzDust_ with her friends, debating what outfit to wear as three of her friends stood in the doorway offering opinions. None of them liked to enter the room if Elphaba was there.

A messenger from the administration office squeezed past Pinar's friends, looking to Elphaba.

"An express for you," she said brusquely, holding out the envelope.

Elphaba leapt up quickly to grab it, ignoring the way Pinar's friends stepped back into the hallway as she approached. Her heart quickened as she recognised Annalie's handwriting on the envelope, and she paused only to grab her room key before she hurried downstairs to Nessa and Xia's room.

"Is it the election results?" Nessa asked eagerly, putting aside the paper she was working on.

They both knew the only thing that would cause their parents to send an express, was either good news or bad news. If it wasn't the election results, something bad had happened.

"Did Papa win?" she demanded, as Elphaba skimmed the letter inside.

Elphaba looked up with a bright smile. "Sixty-two percent of the vote."

Nessa gasped and clasped her hands together. "Oh, that's thrillifying! I'm so glad!"

Elphaba let out a breath. "Me too. Oz, I wish we were at home right now," she said, a lump rising in her throat.

Nessa laughed gently, rubbing her arm soothingly.

"Fabala, is _this_ what makes you homesick? Really?"

Elphaba chuckled sheepishly, blinking back tears. "I know, I know. I just- it feels weird not being there to find out the result with Papa, doesn't it?"

Nessa nodded. "Yeah. But we've only got what, six weeks, until Lurlinemas break?"

"I know. I'm just _so_ sick of dealing with Pinar," Elphaba said tiredly. "And I've had the worst headache all day."

"Six weeks," Nessa said comfortingly. "Focus on finals, right?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah. Finals."

Three days later, Elphaba came down with the flu. She ached all over and her head swam, rendering her incapable of leaving her bed. Pinar proved herself as sensitive as ever- the moment she got wind of Elphaba being ill, she brought Xia up to the room.

"You need to get her out of here," she said icily. "I am _not_ getting sick before my vacation."

Xia stared at after her in dismay as Pinar brushed past her and headed out of the room.

"She's not planning on being a medical professional, I hope."

Elphaba snorted weakly. "I have no idea. That would require us to have a conversation."

Xia came over to the bed and felt her forehead. "You have a fever. Have you seen the nurse?"

"You _are_ a nurse," Elphaba replied. "I'm fine, really."

Xia looked at her sceptically.

"Was Pinar serious about not wanting you to be here?"

Elphaba coughed miserably, rubbing her sore eyes. "She's been trying to get rid of me all semester. Why would she stop meaning it now?"

Elphaba refused to move just because Pinar insisted, but by the third day of being sick and bedridden, she wished she had. Pinar made no effort to keep quiet during the day so that Elphaba could rest, and was in an even more foul mood than usual, snapping that Elphaba kept her awake at night with coughing.

It was left to Xia to check on Elphaba, and bring her fluids and soup, as Nessa couldn't get up the stairs. Which Elphaba appreciated, even if it wasn't quite the same as being at home in her own bed while sick. She knew Nessa had written home that she was sick, however, when a large care package turned up at the end of the week.

Elphaba insisted on coming downstairs to Nessa's room to open it, tired of being stuck in bed. However, it had been clear by the time she'd made it down the first flight of stairs that this had been a dumb decision, and she curled up tiredly on Nessa's bed while Nessa and Xia opened the box.

"Ooh, Nikita's chocolate chip cookies!" Nessa said, pulling out the tin.

"Look, Fabala. Magazines, a blanket, a book of crossword puzzles… oh, there's a drawing from Hallam!"

Elphaba smiled softly as she took the drawing from Nessa, from Ottah and Melia's three-and-a-half-year-old son. It wasn't terribly clear what the subject was supposed to be, but she appreciated the sentiment.

"And there's a letter from Ima and Papa," Nessa continued, handing it to her.

Elphaba took it, but didn't open it, her eyes closing again.

"I know what it's going to say," she said, answering Nessa's unasked question. "Ima will tell me to keep my fluids up and get plenty of rest, and Papa will say I've been doing too much and overdoing it and that's why I got sick."

Nessa smiled softly. "Sounds about right," she agreed quietly.

She exchanged a glance with Xia as Elphaba's breathing evened out within a few minutes. Xia took the knitted blanket Annalie had sent and gently tossed it over Elphaba's sleeping form.

The worst thing about being sick, in Elphaba's mind, was that it put her behind in her work. It was a week before she felt well enough to get back to classes, and she felt mildly panicked as she looked at her planner for the next few weeks.

"I have _so_ much to do," she fretted to Nessa as they had lunch in the dining hall one Thursday in the beginning of December.

She was trying to balance studying for finals, work for the paper, and working on her portfolio for writing class. On top of that, she'd spent the past three days writing and re-writing the same paragraph of her novel whenever she had a free moment, and she wasn't sure version twelve was any better than version one. It made her want to tear her hair out.

Usually in this case, she would give it to Annalie or Frex to get their opinion on it, depending on how critical she wanted the feedback to be. But her parents weren't here.

"Don't worry, Fabala. You'll get everything done," Nessa reassured her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Nessa demanded, looking up from her lunch to see her sister frowning at her.

"Do I have something on my face?"

Elphaba's face cleared and she chuckled sheepishly. "No, sorry. I was just thinking. Can I ask you a favour?"

Nessa shrugged. "Sure."

"Would you read my book?" Elphaba blurted.

Nessa gaped. In all the time Elphaba had been working on her book, Nessa had never read a word. She'd heard mentions of things but lacked the context for any of the references.

"You want me to read your book?"

"Well, if you don't mind," Elphaba said quickly. "Don't feel obligated. I just... I'm stuck, and I could use a fresh opinion."

"No, I'll read it," Nessa agreed. "I'd love to. Is- is there anything specific I'm looking for?"

Elphaba hesitated. "I just need to know if it makes sense. If it makes you feel… something."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, that's not helpful. Can you just tell me what you think?"

"Of course," Nessa said immediately.

"It doesn't have to be immediately. It can wait until break," Elphaba offered. "I don't want to disrupt your study."

"It's fine. I can read it this weekend," Nessa suggested and Elphaba agreed.

That being said, it was with great trepidation that Elphaba handed over the notebook that contained her manuscript thus far on Friday night.

"Fabala, relax," Nessa said exasperatedly. "I won't hurt it. It won't leave my room, and I will wear white gloves to touch it if necessary."

Elphaba chuckled. "It's not _that,"_ she said. "I just always get a little anxious when I don't have it with me. It's like giving you a limb to hold."

"I'll take care of it," Nessa promised.

She was quite excited that night as she settled herself into bed with the notebook. Elphaba still hadn't officially decided on a title, so Nessa didn't have much to go on, besides a pencilled _Lined with Luck?_

There were other faint pencil marks Nessa couldn't make out, obviously rejected past titles. She smiled to herself, shook her head and began to read the first chapter.

Elphaba knocked on the door at eight-thirty the next morning, and Xia answered the door.

"Nessa's still sleeping," she explained.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "She is? Is she sick?"

"No, not that she said. She was just up late last night."

Elphaba's brow furrowed. "Ok. Well, when she wakes up, I'll either be in the dining hall or the library if she wants to find me."

Xia promised to pass on the message and Elphaba headed off.

She had a quick breakfast alone and then headed to the library to get some study done. She had an assignment for her Criminal Law class due the next week and she was only half done.

As she headed towards the library, regretting not having a second cup of coffee, she passed Galinda and Milla, who were flicking through a magazine.

"Are you feeling better now, Elphaba?" Milla called out as she passed, which made Elphaba's steps falter slightly.

Milla didn't usually speak to her, except the odd occasion in their writing class.

"Uh, yes. Thank you," she said carefully and then kept walking.

She didn't walk fast enough to avoid hearing Galinda asking Milla.

"How would anyone even know she was sick? She's already green."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but it was still better than Pfannee and Shen-Shen opening speculating about whether she had _really_ had the flu, or if she was developing an eating disorder. Elphaba had ranted to Nessa and Xia for a good fifteen minutes after _that_ comment.

An hour later, Elphaba had her head buried in the components of criminal offences and was scribbling notes when a shadow fell over her and she jumped. Lifting her head, she saw Nessa on the other side of the table.

"Oz, Nessa you scared me," she said tiredly, a hand on her chest.

"I said your name," Nessa laughed quietly.

"You did? Sorry. I was… immersed, I guess."

Nessa wasn't surprised. "Can you take a break yet? I really want to talk about your book."

Elphaba froze for a moment. Her mouth suddenly went dry and her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't read Nessa's facial expression, although she knew that was a ridiculous expectation. Someone reading her work always made her anxious.

"Oh. Um," she faltered and checked the time.

She had much more work to do, but she didn't think she'd be able to focus now until she knew what Nessa had thought.

"I can take a little break, I guess. Do you want to get a coffee from the coffee cart in the courtyard?" she asked.

"Can we go to _The Wilted Rose_ instead? It'll be much warmer in there," Nessa said. "Or we could go sit in the student common room?"

Elphaba made a face. "The common room will be too crowded. _The Wilted Rose_ is fine."

 _The Wilted Rose_ wasn't a whole less crowded, but they were still able to grab a table where they wouldn't be overheard.

Once they'd ordered, Nessa watched in amusement as Elphaba pulled out a notebook and pen.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to take notes about your thoughts," Elphaba explained. "Unless _you_ took notes?"

"No… you didn't tell me to take notes."

Elphaba laughed slightly. "You don't _have_ take notes. I mean, Papa usually takes notes, but Anna doesn't always."

Their coffee and food arrived and Elphaba spooned some sugar into her coffee. "Ok, so what did you think?"

She tried to say it nonchalantly, but the knowing look on Nessa's face suggested she hadn't quite achieved the desired tone.

"Fabala, I thought it was great. I was up until three am reading it," she said sincerely. "I cried twice."

"You did?" Elphaba asked, her face lighting up. "When?"

"When Tarina and Yoske were told they couldn't have children, because it was just so sad. It was heartbreaking. And then when Milosh got drafted in the war, right after he and Alamina were married."

"Well, with any luck you'll cry plenty more throughout the story," Elphaba said happily.

Nessa laughed. "I don't know if you should sound so happy about that prospect."

She took a sip of coffee. "So, is the legend true about the sewing machine? Is it lucky?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Items don't have luck."

Nessa giggled. "So, I guess that explains why Syeira doesn't believe the legend."

"Superstition and coincidence form the basis of a lot of legends," Elphaba said dismissively.

"I did have one question, though. I know the book isn't done yet, so maybe it's coming later, but I just wondered something."

Elphaba nodded and poised her pen over the paper. "Sure. What is it?"

"Well, if whatever you make with the sewing machine brings the wearer luck- according to legend or superstition or whatever- why not make _everything_ with the sewing machine? Why only use it for special garments?"

Elphaba frowned thoughtfully and put her elbow up on the table, resting her chin in her hand.

"No, I get that," she agreed. "And I've noted that before," she admitted. "In my mind, I feel it's a case of… like, not wanting to run out of luck? Does that make sense?"

"It does," Nessa agreed. "But that hasn't come up yet."

"No… I think it has to come up with Syeira's story. I mean, she's already questioning the legend, right? And she's the fourth generation to _get_ the sewing machine, so she has more room to question things… I think."

"And that's what I loved so much about it," Nessa said earnestly. "I love the message in it."

Elphaba cocked her head, her frown deepening. "Message? It's just about a sewing machine."

Nessa shook her head. "No, isn't it about how if you wait for the 'perfect' moment, you'll never do anything? That you have to make your own luck? Isn't that where you're going with Syeira's story?"

Elphaba's brow furrowed unconsciously. "That's what you got from Syeira's story? What about the others? Yoska, Fawnie and Alamina?"

"Well, none of them have reached the end yet. I mean, not that Syeira's has either, but I assumed there'd be something she has to learn from each ancestor."

Elphaba began scribbling in her notepad, leaving Nessa to drink more of her coffee in peace.

"What were some of the other titles you've considered? I could see eraser marks, but I couldn't make out what had been there," Nessa asked.

Elphaba made a face. "Oh, there's been a few," she sighed. "But none of them were right. I still don't know if this one will stick."

"I still like it," Nessa declared loyally. "Now that I've read it, I think it fits perfectly."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Well, thanks. You know, it's funny. I was so worried about my creative writing class this semester, but it's actually proving to be easier to write for that than it is to write the book. Why do you think that is?"

"Maybe it's just that you're not as emotionally invested in your stories for class as you are for this?" Nessa suggested. "You're less of a perfectionist when it comes to your writing class maybe. And you've had so much trouble finding a space to write in this semester."

"True. Oz, I can't wait to go home."

Nessa smiled. "Yeah? Are you still feeling sick?"

"I'm tired," Elphaba readily admitted. "Looking forward to some comforts of home. And you know what they say," she smiled. "There's no place like home."

 **AN. We've all had that moment when recovering from illness where we think we're well enough to do something, and immediately realise it was a terrible decision, haven't we? Just me?**

 **A little info on Elphaba's book here. You may get a little more later! But what do you think of _Lined With Luck_ so far? **

**I think you guys are _really_ going to like the next chapter :p Thanks for reviewing, as always! I appreciate it _so_ much. **


	7. Chapter 07

**AN. There is a line in this chapter taken from one of my favourite movies- _10 Things I Hate About You._ You'll know if when you see it! **

**Chapter 7**

Elphaba loved being home, especially all the little things. Having lunch with her father, chatting with Annalie, catching up with Ottah and his family. She loved having her room to herself and being able to shut herself up in her room for hours to write and read in peace.

Well, moderate peace. Despite Tomaz insisting he "hadn't really" missed his sisters, he found a lot of reasons to hang out with them over Lurlinemas break. Unless it was after he was asleep, Elphaba couldn't be in her room for more than an hour without Tomaz knocking the door with one excuse or another to spend time with her.

As she'd predicted, Annalie, Frex and Nikita had all fussed over her the first few days they'd been home, until they were reassured she was fully recovered from the flu. They'd had a lovely, quiet Lurlinemas with just the five of them. Lilou and Pim, Annalie's parents, had been invited for the holiday but had declined to spend the holiday with Lilou's sister instead.

But as nice as it was to be home, she was eager to get back to Shiz. She was excited for all the classes she'd chosen for the semester and eager to find out if she'd made the _Gazette_ staff.

Most importantly, she knew that Pinar wasn't returning until after classes started- from what Elphaba had heard her tell a friend, her family's ski trip was far more important than being here for the first day of classes for a new semester. That meant she'd have a few days alone in the room, and she was eager to make the most of them.

The girls returned to Shiz the Friday before classes resumed. One of Nessa's friends, Vicnia, was already back on campus when they returned, so Elphaba had no qualms about leaving her and Xia to keep Nessa entertained for a few days while Elphaba buried herself back in the stories of the Gide/Wilke family and their possibly lucky sewing machine.

Over the break, she'd asked Annalie and Frex about the message Nessa had imagined in the book.

"Is that not the message?" Frex had asked her.

"There is no message! It's about a family and a tradition… superstition. Legend. Something. But that's it. It's just a story," Elphaba had protested. "Anna?"

"I didn't get the concept about making your own luck, but I _love_ it and it fits the story well," Annalie said. "But I did pick up the idea of if you wait for the perfect moment, you'll miss out."

Of course, that had sent Elphaba into a spiral of indecision, and she'd debated going back to do yet more revisions, but Annalie had persuaded her to "finish one draft before you start another" which Elphaba had agreed to.

Which meant when she had ideas to improve a section she'd already done, she had to scribble it onto any piece of paper that was within reach. All the scraps of paper were carefully stored in the chest, so she didn't lose them.

This semester, Elphaba had exchanged Literature for Philosophy, but was otherwise still continuing with her load of Law, History and Creative Writing class.

" _Death, Pleasure and the Literary Imagination._ It sounds terribly morbid," Nessa had said, wrinkling her nose when Elphaba had showed her the class outline.

"It sounds fascinating," Elphaba had replied.

There was less actual writing in this course- one big writing project and one or two short pieces, as opposed to the numerous writing assignments the last class had involved. Elphaba was actually glad about this, because even though her final project would be worth more, it meant she wouldn't be dividing her creative energy over as many projects.

Of course, the sensible thing would have been for Elphaba to put her novel aside when she had class assignments to write, but somehow, they were the periods when the novel consumed her most vividly.

Pinar returned to Shiz three days after classes resumed and entered the dorm room as Elphaba was curled up on her bed, supposedly doing a reading for her creative writing class the following night but was actually writing Chapter Twenty of her novel.

Inspiration always seemed to strike at the most inconvenient times.

Pinar, as was her trend, stopped in the doorway as though she was surprised to see Elphaba there.

" _Ugh_ ," she muttered under her breath, turned up her nose and ushered in two boys carrying her luggage.

Elphaba kept her nose in her notebook but made a face regardless.

"Ugh," she said in turn.

She saw movement in her peripheral vision but ignored her roommate.

The slam of the bathroom door told Elphaba that Pinar had clearly not mellowed over Lurlinemas.

The next morning before breakfast, Elphaba hadn't even gotten out of bed before Pinar had accused her of stealing her hairbrush.

"The hairbrush that you took away with you?" Elphaba demanded tiredly. "You only got back last night. Do you think I got up in the middle of the night to steal your hairbrush? Are you insane?"

"Well, explain to me how I had it yesterday and today I don't," Pinar retorted.

"Is it possible you left it behind on your vacation? Or that it's buried in the piles of luggage you've just dumped in the middle of the room? Or that you're a psychopath and you never _had_ a hairbrush? I don't care, take your pick. Just shut up and let me sleep," Elphaba fumed, rolling over and buried her head under the pillow.

It was only seven am, and she had no classes that day until her writing class at five o'clock. With nothing to do on the paper that day, she had been looking forward to a sleep in and an easy day in her warm room.

"I _know_ you took it."

Elphaba ignored her, so Pinar's response was to shut herself up in the bathroom again. Elphaba had never been more thankful that she had no classes that morning.

But she was awake now, if not thanks to Pinar than to her bladder, so she got up and dressed warmly before miserably heading downstairs to Nessa's room.

"I need to use your bathroom," she announced to a surprised Nessarose.

"Why? What's wrong with yours?"

"It's been commandeered."

Nessa frowned briefly and then her face cleared in understanding. "Oh, Pinar's back?"

"With added crazy," Elphaba replied and disappeared into the bathroom.

"I thought you had no classes until tonight?" Nessa asked when Elphaba returned.

Elphaba made a face. "I don't. But I got woken up by Pinar insisting I stole her hairbrush in the dead of night. So, I'm up now."

She hung around while Xia helped Nessa ready herself for the day, and then went with her sister to the dining hall for breakfast before Nessa's Art History class that morning.

It was a beautiful morning, which helped lift Elphaba's sour mood slightly. It didn't even feel that cold, and the air was crisp and fresh, but not icy.

"What are you going to do for the day?" Nessa asked her.

Elphaba shrugged. "Wait a bit and hopefully Pinar has classes today and is planning to actually attend said classes."

She sighed deeply. "If this is what the rest of the semester is going to be like, I think I preferred it when she ignored my existence."

"Maybe she had something bad happen over Lurlinemas?" Nessa suggested. "And she's taking it out on you?"

"Lucky me," Elphaba said gloomily.

When she returned to the room after breakfast, Pinar was still in the room, flicking through a pile of magazines amidst the piles of luggage she still had made no move to unpack. She didn't so much as look at Elphaba, but her message was received loud and clear- ' _I am not going anywhere.'_

Elphaba could have likewise settled back onto her bed and ignored the other girl, refusing to be shut out of her own dorm room.

But she was not in the mood to deal with it this morning. So, she simply grabbed the notebook that contained her novel, shoved it into her book bag with a handful of pens, and the collection of short stories she had neglected to read for class the night before. Then she left the room without a word to Pinar.

Her plan was to set up in the _Gazette_ office preferably, or in the library as a last resort. But the fresh air enticed her, and she ended up in the courtyard, settling herself at the base of the statue of Elian Waurne, the founder of Shiz.

The courtyard was mostly deserted, apart from a few students hurrying on their way to class or the library, anywhere out of the winter air. But Elphaba was quite content as she balanced the notebook on her knee and began to write.

She lasted two hours before her fingers grew a little numb, and she decided to go get some coffee and admit defeat. The armchairs by the fire in the library seemed like a great idea now, if there were any free at this time of day.

She got lucky and snagged an armchair by the fire with ease, basking in the warmth of the fire and settling in with every intention of passing the afternoon in the library's solitude. Or rather, that was the plan.

Over the next few hours, the library grew busier and noisier, as those who had their class schedules arranged so they were done by lunch time filled all the tables and armchairs for study or quiet conversation. Elphaba, who was deep into the book of short stories by now, was increasingly irritated at those who refused to follow the very basic "no loud talking" rule of any and every library she'd ever been to.

With a heavy sigh, she grabbed her coat and book bag and headed for the door. Pinar or no Pinar, she was going back to her dorm. Even Pinar couldn't make _that_ much noise, right?

She kept her nose buried in the book as he walked, the path between the library and Crage Hall was well trod now, and with people's tendency to move out of her way when she stepped into a three-foot radius of them, she didn't have to worry about walking into people. Out of nowhere, she dimly registered a yell and the sound of a horn near her, and she looked up from her book just in time to jump aside as a carriage frantically swerved and came to a halt.

Elphaba's book fell to the ground as she leapt aside, and her bookbag fell from her shoulder. She'd left it open, and the thud as it hit the ground resulted in its contents spilling out, loose papers flying across the immediate vicinity of the thankfully dry ground.

"Hey!" she yelled.

Her first priority was the notebook that contained her novel, and she desperately lunged for it, safely stowing it back in her book bag for beginning to collect her book and papers.

The carriage driver, a skinny young man who barely looked old enough to climb up to sit in the box seat, let alone actually drive the damn thing, jumped down hastily.

"I'm so sorry, miss!" he apologised. "Are you alright?"

Elphaba whirled around to glare at him. "Remove head from sphincter, _then_ drive," she snapped at him. "Why in Oz's name don't you _look_ where you're going?"

"You didn't look either!" he protested. "You just stepped out!"

" _This isn't a road, you idiot!"_ she exclaimed. "It's a freaking walking path. Did the complete lack of any other traffic along here not alert you to this fact?"

The carriage door opened, and a young man stepped out.

"Av, what's going on?" he asked. "Are we here?"

Elphaba stopped in the middle of picking up papers to stare at him incredulously. "Observant, are we? What, were you sleeping in there?"

"Well, actually..." the boy started to say and then trailed off.

He seemed to see her for the first time, and his eyes widened slightly.

That was a mild reaction, as far as Elphaba was concerned, and she rolled her eyes, reaching for more papers.

"I, er, I think I took a wrong turn somewhere," she heard the driver say sheepishly and she scoffed.

She reached for more papers and jumped as a hand appeared suddenly, reaching for the same paper.

Elphaba quickly snatched it and shoved all the papers into her bookbag, ignoring the boy. She was at least thankful there was no snow on the ground currently, which meant the papers were cold but not wet.

"Let me help," the boy offered, reaching for another sheet of paper.

Elphaba grabbed it before he could get to it. "I'm good, thanks. You should just concentrate on paying attention to where your driver is going, because he seems completely incompetent at the task," she said coldly, and stormed away.

The boy took a step towards her, an introduction on the tip of his tongue. It died, however, as something crunched beneath his boot and he looked down to see she'd missed a piece of paper. He stooped to pick it up and skimmed it quickly.

 _Epigraph about luck?_

 _Do we make our own luck?_

 _Self-fulfilling prophecy_

" _luck is_ _mere_ _luck" – Denock [phil]_

It could have been notes from a class, and in fact, that's what he assumed it was, until the final lines.

 _Syeira- lack of clarity over wants (search for 'luck') vs belief in serendipity._

 _Waiting for fate to play out vs luring fate into action._

 _If you believe in luck, are you surrendering yourself to being controlled by fate?_

 _Put scene in ch 15- conversation between Syeira and Fawnie about why F thinks the machine brought her luck. (F and H wedding flashback?)_

"Fiyero?" the driver spoke up.

Fiyero looked up from the paper and blinked as though he'd forgotten where they were.

"Yeah, Av. Sorry. Do you know where we are exactly?" he asked, looking around.

Avaric looked around and pointed to a building off to the right. "I think that's the administration building. It's where I was headed when…"

"You almost hit one of my classmates?" Fiyero finished, unconsciously slipping the piece of paper into his jacket pocket.

"I didn't know this isn't a road! It wasn't clearly marked!" Avaric protested.

They headed to the administration building where Fiyero signed in and then endured an unreasonably long lecture from the Headmistress about his lack of academic application at his previous schools and how Shiz _would_ be different (nothing he hadn't already heard from his parents). At last he had his suite key and his class schedule, and he and Avaric were headed to find Briscoe Hall.

Fiyero had spent a lot of time in many a university dorm room. Usually his own.

As far as dorm rooms went, the private suite that was now his (for the next few months at least), was pretty good. It wasn't the best he'd had, but definishly not the worst. This one even had a small kitchen area, not that Fiyero had any intention of ever using said kitchen.

Avaric unloaded and brought up the luggage and then Fiyero walked with him back to the carriage.

"I guess I'll see you in a month or so," Fiyero said nonchalantly.

Avaric chuckled wryly. "Maybe two months if you're lucky."

They said goodbye, and when Avaric drove off, Fiyero pulled out his class schedule.

He had, tragically and regrettably, not arrived in time for his only class of the day and now had no classes until Monday afternoon. This was not at all done on purpose.

So now what to do with himself? He could unpack? He could explore the campus? Get some food?

Soon news would start to spread, that Fiyero Tiggular had come to Shiz University. Normally meeting one person was enough to get the gossip started, but somehow Fiyero doubted the girl he'd met would be much help in that regard.

' _How does one become green?'_ he wondered to himself, almost absent-mindedly.

He still had the sheet of paper she'd forgotten in his pocket. He supposed he should return it to her- at least she wouldn't be hard to find.

"Are you looking for something?" asked a breathless voice, and Fiyero turned to see a pretty girl with blonde hair standing behind him, her cheeks flushed pink.

"Or… someone?" she added, curling a lock of hair around a finger and fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Fiyero grinned, switching on the charm. "I could be."

And just like that, Fiyero Tiggular had started his time at Shiz University.

Elphaba, meanwhile, had spared no more thought to them after she'd rounded the corner. People who chose to drive on walking paths were not deserving of her attention.

And it wasn't until the next morning when she and Nessa met for breakfast in the dining hall that she was reminded of his presence.

"Did you hear?" Nessa asked her. "Fiyero Tiggular's here."

"Who?" Elphaba asked distantly, her nose buried in her History textbook before their first class that morning.

Nessa rolled her eyes and placed her hand over the page, so that Elphaba had no choice but to look up.

"Fiyero Tiggular," she repeated.

Elphaba scrunched up her face. "The prince? Here? _Oh_ ," she said, as it clicked. "That was him?" she asked, almost to herself.

Nessa frowned. "That was him? You met him?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I guess. We crossed paths, you could say," she said dryly. "I didn't really recognise him at the time."

"What was he like?" Nessa asked curiously.

"Sleepy," Elphaba replied and returned to her textbook.

Nessa blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Never mind."

"I thought he was going to the Central Emerald College," Nessa frowned, munching on her toast.

Elphaba lifted her head. "That was like two schools ago, Nessie."

"Well, maybe Shiz will be the right fit for him," said Nessa, ever the optimist.

Elphaba scoffed sceptically and returned to her book for the second time.

By the time they got out of their History class just after ten o'clock, Elphaba had already heard enough about Fiyero Tiggular to last her a lifetime.

Students were comparing gossip, flinging around rumours about his escapades at past schools as though they were balls at a tennis match. Some claimed he was already dating a girl or two (Galinda Upland was a name tossed around a lot); others claimed the girl was a long-lost love that had been torn apart from him by circumstances and they had been passionately reunited in the drama room.

Elphaba ducked back up to her dorm after History to return her books, and on the way back downstairs, she almost collided with Pinar and some of her friends as they were hurrying upstairs.

" _Move!"_ Pinar ordered her, almost shoving her aside, although without actually touching her.

"You know, if there's a fire, you're supposed to run _outside._ Not upstairs _,"_ Elphaba snarked.

One of Pinar's friends stared at her as though she was insane.

" _This_ is what she wears to impress the prince?" she said to Pinar.

Pinar sneered. "Please. Like anything _she_ could wear would make an impression on the prince. A snake is still a snake, no matter what it's dressed in."

Elphaba scoffed and rolled her eyes, although Pinar's words stung.

"Well, I'd say good luck with the clothes and makeup to hide your bitch spot; but you'd have to wear a paper bag over your head to cover up something that big," Elphaba retorted and headed downstairs before any of them could retort.

She wasn't even a flight down before she heard Pinar debating the odds of impressing Fiyero with her red leather miniskirt over her blue plaid skirt.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. She wasn't exactly walking around wearing rags. She may not dress in the latest fashions, but her clothes were always neat and stylish, that fit her well. Annalie had seen to that growing up, and Miss Shyla had always insisted that anyone who worked for her be dressed "respectably."

She would almost feel bad for Fiyero, to have all these girls vying for his attention; if she hadn't known that his reputation suggested he was more than happy to have the attention.

With all this, Elphaba had no desire to step into the _Gazette_ office that day, which was sure to be the worst place on campus to be today. Despite Rais' insistence that they were a serious news organisation, as professional as any in Oz, the staff loved a good gossip and could be depended to know any and every rumour, speculation, innuendo and outuendo on campus.

Unfortunately for Elphaba, Rais had called a meeting for all _Gazette_ staff at one o'clock that afternoon, where all new staff members would be announced. So, Elphaba kind of had to be there.

"Hey," she greeted Boq as she walked past him to get to her desk.

"Hey," he replied, rather gloomily.

Elphaba stopped. "What's with you?" she asked.

"Nothing."

A loud peal of laughter echoed through the room and Elphaba turned to see Galinda nearby, talking excitedly with two other girls. Elphaba didn't need to be a genius to know what they were talking about, and why Boq was so miserable.

"She's going to _The OzDust_ with him tonight," Boq confirmed for her, without her needing to ask or say anything.

"Didn't ask, don't care," Elphaba retorted.

She rolled her eyes and kept walking to her desk, dropping her bag and coat on top of the desk and collapsing into her chair.

"It's one o'clock," she noted. "Where's Rais?"

"Somewhere in the mix," Boq pointed out. "He's as excited as Galinda is."

Then he frowned at Elphaba. "You don't look excited."

"About what?" Elphaba asked.

"About Fiyero being here."

"Why would I be excited? It makes no difference to me," Elphaba shrugged.

Boq looked at her as though she was crazy.

Rais eventually got around to calling the meeting to order, although the first fifteen minutes just seemed to be more discussion about the arrival of the Vinkun prince.

Finally, Elphaba raised her hand and caught Rais's attention.

"Elphaba?"

"Hi. Are we going to find out if we made staff or are we just here to make the room look busy?" she asked.

Some of the staffers laughed and Rais grinned sheepishly.

"Right. Sorry."

Both Elphaba and Boq had made the staff as it turned out, and so had Galinda Upland, much to Boq's delight and Elphaba's dismay.

"Are the standards for reporters always this low or were there slim pickings this year?" she complained to Boq.

Boq was staring at Galinda dazedly, as she gushed over Rais. "Huh?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

She got up and approached Rais. "Rais?"

"Hi, Elphaba," he greeted her. "Give me a sec."

He turned back to Galinda, who looked affronted that Elphaba had dared to intrude on her conversation.

"Two or three a week is fine," he told her. "We'll put a notice in this week's issue to drum up some interest."

Galinda scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Rais, there'll be _plenty_ of interest. You may need to give me a whole page."

Rais, to his credit, just blinked at her while Elphaba scoffed sceptically.

"Let's start with the column for now," he said patiently.

Galinda sighed and stormed off.

Rais turned back to Elphaba and smiled. "Welcome to the _Gazette-_ officially," he said.

"Thanks," Elphaba replied. "What's my next assignment?"

Someone handed Rais a paper as they walked past and he stopped to read it.

"Uh…" he said distractedly.

Elphaba waited, but he didn't continue.

Instead he grabbed a pen and scribbled something onto the paper.

"Rais?" Elphaba prodded, growing impatient.

Rais looked up at her and blinked as though he'd forgotten she was there.

"Right. Sorry. Um, I'm still working on a few things. I have a few ideas for you but need to check some things. You have classes tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is Saturday, Rais," Elphaba reminded him.

"Oh, right. I meant Monday."

"Philosophy at nine, and a Law class at noon. That's all."

He nodded. "Great. Come see me at one, and I'll have something for you."

She nodded and left the office.

Elphaba spent the whole weekend wondering what kind of story Rais had planned for her. She was sure it must be a big story if he needed this kind of time to arrange it, although she wondered why it hadn't been given to a more senior reporter.

"What's the assignment?" she asked Rias, the minute she found him in the _Gazette_ office just after one o'clock on Monday afternoon.

He grinned at her. "You'll like this one."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I had people _begging_ me to give them this story. But I picked you."

That just made Elphaba suspicious. "Why?"

"Because your interviews are your strongest writing. Because enrolment for Dr Mustard's courses almost tripled after your interview with him last semester. And because Gyrtie has a Politics seminar she can't miss during the only time we could get this interview," he admitted.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Gyrtie was a third year, and in Elphaba's opinion, she was definishly the best writer on staff.

"Ok, fine. Who am I interviewing and when?"

Rais beamed at her. "Fiyero Tiggular."

Elphaba gaped at him incredulously. " _What?!"_

"Yeah! You're welcome," Rais grinned and clasped Elphaba on the shoulder. "So tomorrow at three o'clock, ok? He's going to meet you at _The Hare and Turtle,_ the pub in town? Back corner table. Don't worry about word count, this is going to be a big story. Just get me something I won't find in any issue of _OzBeat_ magazine. I want a first draft by Friday morning."

And then he was gone, leaving Elphaba speechless.

She had to interview Fiyero Tiggular. She had to interview the prince who, from what she'd heard, had attended no classes and spent every night at _The OzDust._ She had to have a conversation with the prince who thought getting kicked out of university was a competitive sport, while she'd spent three years working her ass off to pay her own way into school.

She was pretty sure she'd rather write about another football game.

 **AN. On a scale of 1-10, how well do we think this interview is going to go? Elphaba's notes are pretty much the kind of notes I scribble while writing. I'm always finding scraps of paper in my bags, pockets and coffee table. If I'm really lucky, they still make sense when I find them lol**


	8. Chapter 08

**AN. The number of reviews for the last chapter left me speechless (22 guys. 22!). I had so much trouble picking ones to make into pictures this time- I would have done all of them if I had the time.**

 **The line from _10 Things I Hate About You_ in the last chapter was ****"** **Remove head from sphincter, then drive."**

 **Chapter 8**

Elphaba had only been into _The Hare and Turtle_ a few times since arriving at Shiz. She wasn't much of a drinker, and Nessarose didn't drink at all. But if they wanted a really good dinner that almost felt homecooked, the pub was the place to go.

And given that most Shiz students preferred _The OzDust Ballroom,_ it meant the typical crowd did not contain either Pinar and her friends, or Galinda Upland and _her_ friends. It wasn't a place Elphaba could come to for peace and quiet or to work, but it was a nice escape at times.

She sat in a booth in the back corner, a notepad and pen in front of her so she could take notes and a list of questions ready. Her interview subject had not yet arrived, and with every minute that passed, she grew more irritated.

She wasn't terribly enthusiastic about this assignment in the first place, and her mood wasn't improved by the steadily growing ache in her left arm- a sure sign there was a snowstorm coming. The radio had predicted one for later in the week, but her arm told her it would come sooner than that, most likely in the next twenty-four hours.

It was twenty past three when the door opened and Fiyero Tiggular entered. He headed to the back table without hesitation- clearly this wasn't his first time in the pub. As he drew close enough to recognise Elphaba, his footsteps slowed for a brief moment, and then he smiled brightly.

"It's you!"

Elphaba wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"It's me," she finally replied, her tone flat.

Fiyero sat down opposite her easily, still grinning at her. "I wondered when I'd see you again. Was beginning to wonder if I'd just imagined the green."

Elphaba was saved the trouble of answering as he held out a hand to her.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself. Fiyero Tiggular."

"I know who you are," Elphaba rolled her eyes, but he didn't pull back his hand.

Reluctantly, she took it and shook his hand. "Elphaba Thropp."

His brow furrowed slightly. "Why does that name sound familiar?" he mused. "Thropp… Thropp… Do you have a sister?"

Elphaba's gaze hardened at the implication in his question.

"I think you possibly know of my father," she said coolly. "Governor of Munchkinland."

Fiyero at least had the decency to look slightly abashed. "Ah, right. That would be it. So, you work on the paper?"

Elphaba sighed heavily. "No. This was a really cunning plan to trick you into meeting with me."

He grinned. "I know you're being sarcastic, but that happens more than you think."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Should we get started?" she asked him briskly, picking up her pen.

"Sure," Fiyero nodded agreeably. "Let me get a drink first. What's your poison?"

Elphaba motioned to the glass of water next to her. "I'm fine."

Fiyero nodded and disappeared towards the bar. When he returned, he placed a glass of soda before Elphaba, resuming his seat and placing a beer and a bowl of pretzels on the table.

"I don't-"

"It's just soda," Fiyero reassured her. "So, ask away."

Elphaba picked up her pen and cleared her throat, pushing the soda aside as politely as possible.

"Ok. Why Shiz University?"

Fiyero didn't miss a beat. "Well, it's pretty much the only school left in Oz I haven't been to yet."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to write that?" she demanded.

Fiyero shrugged. "My educational transcripts are pretty much public knowledge. It's not a secret."

Elphaba moved on to the next question. "What are you majoring in?"

"How to Run a Province," he quipped. "What? It's a real thing," he added, when she just stared at him.

"That's going to be on your diploma when you graduate?" Elphaba asked sceptically.

Fiyero chuckled. "Don't you mean ' _if'?"_

Elphaba wasn't amused.

"What was your first impression of Shiz, compared to other schools you'd been to?" she asked, trying to remain professional.

"Well, Shiz has a much higher ratio of green students than the other schools," Fiyero laughed and tossed a handful of pretzels into his mouth. "That's new."

Elphaba's lips tightened and he raised an eyebrow slightly. "That was a _joke,"_ he stressed slowly.

"Hilarious," Elphaba deadpanned.

She sighed and tapped her pen against the paper. "Tell me. How has the… _variety_ of schools you've attended across Oz informed your opinion of the education system in different provinces?"

Fiyero stared at her blankly.

Elphaba decided to backtrack and start with a simpler question.

"What are you hoping to get out this interview?" she asked him, trying to keep her rising temper in check.

He grinned. "A date for Saturday night?"

Elphaba bristled. "Look, you may think this is a joke, but it's actually my job. And I take it seriously," she snapped at him.

Fiyero looked a little surprised at the change in her tone.

"If you only agreed to the interview as a way to attract dates or boost your ego, you're wasting my time. And my time is far too precious to be wasted on _you."_

She got out of the booth and headed for the door, but Fiyero rose swiftly and grabbed her arm lightly before she got very far.

"Wait. Elphaba, wait a second."

Elphaba paused reluctantly, only because he'd not only remembered her name, but had actually used it. She stared at where his hand lingered on her arm, unaccustomed to people beond her family being willing to touch her.

Fiyero's gaze dropped to the spot too but he didn't drop his hand.

"I'm sorry," he said contritely. "Really."

She turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why did you even agree to this interview?" she demanded. "You obviously don't take it seriously."

"I do what I can for my adoring public," he grinned.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and shook off his hand from her arm. "Right."

"Wait," Fiyero said again, before she could turn away.

There was an odd note in his voice, almost like pleading, although Elphaba couldn't work out why that would be. It made no sense.

Fiyero paused as she waited expectantly, and finally he sighed.

"Look, I'll make you a deal," he offered.

"A deal?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll answer your questions- seriously. Give you a real interview. Which, I might add, I haven't given any member of the press since I was thirteen. But on one condition."

"What condition?" Elphaba asked warily.

Fiyero reached into his bag and pulled out a sheet of paper.

"You tell me about this."

Elphaba took it with a puzzled frown, and her jaw dropped as she recognised her own handwriting, her blood running cold.

"How the hell did you get this?!" she demanded of him, more shock than anger colouring her tone.

"You missed it with all the others you dropped the day we met," Fiyero explained. "I haven't exactly seen you to return it."

Elphaba's face was uncomfortably warm and she felt nauseous.

"Are you ok?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba couldn't speak. Her throat felt tight and her hands began to tremble slightly. As Fiyero reached out for her arm once more, she took an involuntary step back, clutching the paper to her chest protectively.

Concern darkened Fiyero's face.

"Elphaba? I didn't show it to anyone, if that's what you're worried about."

Her eyes flickered to his, but she couldn't speak.

"I promise, no one's seen it but me. And you," he amended as an afterthought. "Come sit."

Elphaba allowed herself to be led back to her seat, and Fiyero pushed the soda back in her direction, and she took a drink without thinking.

"No one's seen this," she blurted out. "Not unless I trust them."

Fiyero nodded in understanding, his brow still furrowed in concern. "I get that," he said gently.

Elphaba looked at him doubtfully. "You do?"

Fiyero shrugged but offered no further explanation.

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Or show anyone?" Elphaba asked.

"I don't really know many people yet," Fiyero answered easily.

"I thought you were dating Galinda Upland," Elphaba said. "Isn't that what the rumour mill is saying?"

Then she paled, losing the little colour she'd regained since resuming her seat. "Did you tell Galinda about this?"

The idea of anyone like Galinda finding out about her novel made her want to be sick.

"No, I didn't say anything to Galinda. I didn't say anything to anyone," he reminded her.

Fiyero shrugged. "Look, Galinda showed me around campus. We went to a party together. We're not dating," he corrected her, his tone surprisingly firm.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Elphaba asked warily.

Fiyero stared at her, surprised by the question. "It seemed personal. I don't know what stories you've heard, but I'm not a _complete_ asshole," he said, meeting her gaze briefly before then looking away and reaching for his beer.

Elphaba's stomach squirmed a little and she sipped her soda quietly, for a lack of what else to say.

"I thought it was class notes at first, until the end," Fiyero said with a shrug.

He knew that he could have asked Galinda who the green girl was. But she'd left little room for conversation, and somehow it hadn't come up.

Elphaba slipped the paper into her bag as the knot that had formed in her chest eased somewhat. She'd noticed the paper missing, but assumed it was lost among class notes or she'd accidentally thrown it out. It wouldn't be the first time for either.

"Sound fair? Interview for an explanation?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba faltered only briefly. She was reluctant to tell him anything but figured she could probably get away with a vague explanation once the interview was over.

And she needed an interview. She couldn't leave with nothing.

Not to mention, there was a part of her that was grateful enough for his secrecy to feel like she owed him something. Which was ridiculous, wasn't it?

"Fine," she agreed.

Fiyero took another drink of his beer.

"So. Real interview," he said.

He shifted slightly in his seat uneasily.

"My answer about 'why Shiz' was accurate," he began. "I can't put it any other way. It was either Shiz or Greater Munchkinland University. No offence, but I didn't fancy spending most of the next three years in Munchkinland."

Elphaba couldn't really argue with him there. Munchkinland was not the most exciting place in Oz.

"And your major?"

"How to Run a Province," Fiyero repeated his earlier answer. Then he shrugged. "Technically it's Political Science. I'm doing a combination of Law, Politics and Economics. Everything a future monarch needs to know. Every heir to the throne for the past five generations has done the same degree. Usually only at the one school," he acknowledged.

Elphaba's pen paused. "I'm doing Law. I haven't seen you in classes."

"I've done all my first-year Law courses at other schools. Horrible Morrible let those credits transfer over."

Elphaba noted the reference to Morrible with only a slight quirk of her eyebrow. "You picked up that quickly."

Fiyero grinned. "It's an appropriate nickname, isn't it? Don't print that," he added quickly and Elphaba chuckled despite herself.

"It wouldn't be my first pick of degree," Fiyero said. "But what's a king going to do with a philosophy degree, right?"

"Is that what you'd study if you had the choice? Philosophy?" Elphaba asked him.

Fiyero paused, surprise flickering across his face. "No one's ever asked me that before," he said, his brow creasing.

Elphaba shrugged. "Well, _I'm_ asking. If you could study anything. If you weren't royalty, what would you study?"

Fiyero sat back, looking quite perplexed. Elphaba simply sat back and waited, taking another sip of her soda he had bought her. Eventually the prince blew out a breath slowly, running a hand over his face.

"Look, I don't know. School's not exactly my favourite thing," he admitted. "Maybe I would have joined the army or something. Done a trade."

"What kind of trade?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I did a bit of woodworking in high school. I wasn't bad at it, and I enjoyed it. But if I wasn't royalty, I guess there's no way to know if I'd have that chance, right?"

Elphaba looked up at him. "That's true," she agreed. "That's a good answer."

He grinned. "Thanks."

Elphaba paused, unsure if she wanted to try the next question again.

"First impressions of Shiz?" she asked reluctantly.

Fiyero crunched a mouthful of pretzels thoughtfully. "First impression… interesting people?"

He grinned as she arched an eyebrow at him.

"I can't help it. You were a big part of my first Shiz University experience," he said innocently.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Seriously though," he continued. "I like it here. Friendly people, there's good places to eat, a decent place for parties. What more do you need?"

"What about classes?"

"Again, not really my scene," Fiyero said casually. "I find life is a better teacher than any school I've been to."

Elphaba's pen paused mid-note. " _Life?"_

"See, the trouble with schools is, they always teach the wrong lesson," Fiyero began solemnly. "They take everything so seriously. Do you want to hear about my philosophy?"

Elphaba agreed, thinking it would be a great detail for the article. Maybe a chance to showcase a deeper side of the Vinkun prince.

A decision she immediately regretted.

"That is the _stupidest_ thing I've ever heard," she said bluntly, when Fiyero had finished his explanation. "Dancing Through Life? You can't run a province like that."

"So my father keeps telling me," Fiyero agreed, not seeming at all perturbed by her disapproval. "Next question?"

Elphaba wanted to argue more about his ridiculous "life philosophy" but decided to get the article done first.

She asked all the questions that he probably expected and Rais didn't want- questions she could have found the answers in _OzBeat_ magazine. As she'd expected, Fiyero answered them readily. Not terribly detailed or original answers, but it helped ease the conversation along until she could get to the real questions she wanted to know.

"What do you miss most about home?" she asked him.

Fiyero paused. "Home as in the Vinkus? Or my actual home?"

"Either. Both."

Fiyero was on his second bowl of pretzels and beer by now, and he took another drink as he considered his answer.

"I guess my friends," he replied. "I mean, I've got friends from every school I've been to, but it's not quite like the friends you grew up with, is it?"

Elphaba wouldn't know, but she didn't tell him that.

"I've been best friends with Palo since we were nine," Fiyero continued. "It's a different kind of friendship than a guy you spent two months chatting about how boring your Politics teacher is, isn't it? Not that surviving one of Dr Timam's lectures isn't a bonding experience, you know?"

"I really don't," Elphaba retorted.

"Who do you look up to?" she asked him. "Who are your role models?"

"My Dad," Fiyero replied immediately.

Elphaba couldn't hide her surprise at his response and he grinned. "Not the answer you expected?"

"No," she admitted readily.

Fiyero's father, by all accounts, was a respectable and serious man. Not at all in line with what Elphaba knew of Fiyero's reputation. It was hard to see Fiyero wanting to emulate that image.

"Why your father?"

"Well, off the record? He's pretty awesome."

Elphaba laughed before she could stop herself. " _That's_ off the record? Why?"

"He doesn't need the ego boost," Fiyero replied with a grin.

It wasn't exactly an answer.

"But why your father?" Elphaba repeated. "Off the record, if you really want it to be," she added, a little begrudgingly.

Fiyero ran a hand through his hair. "I know it sounds weird I wouldn't want to have it printed that I _like_ my parents, but you've got to understand. I've got this… a certain image-"

"And Oz forbid it be revealed that you're a decent human being?" Elphaba snapped, perhaps a little too harshly.

Fiyero's eyebrows rose and his hand stilled in the act of reaching for his drink.

"Excuse me?"

"I know what your reputation is. Everyone does. And you're not going to give me anything that might contradict that? You promised me something _real_. And it's not this 'Dancing Through Life' bullshit."

"How do you know it's not real? You don't know me," Fiyero shot back, his eyes darkening.

Elphaba met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Why did you keep my piece of paper? Why didn't you just throw it out? Why was it in your bag? You didn't know I was the one interviewing you today."

Fiyero's jaw clenched, and his fingers drummed on the table top restlessly.

"I-"

Elphaba sat back against the seat, her arms folded over her chest as she waited for him to answer.

"It seemed important," Fiyero finally said, his fingers still tapping.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed sceptically.

"You said you haven't given a real interview since you were thirteen. I'm guessing it's because you refused, not because of a lack of opportunity. Yet a few nonsensical notes on a sheet of paper is enough to change that. Why?"

Fiyero's eyes narrowed too, and he shifted in his seat as his fingers stilled.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're annoyingly perceptive?"

Elphaba's lips twitched imperceptibly, but she didn't break her gaze.

"Yes," she admitted. "My father actually."

Fiyero sat back in his seat and sighed, taking a drink. "Are you close?"

"Yes, we are. But I'm not the one here that's supposed to be being interviewed," Elphaba reminded him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems rather difficult to marry your promise of a 'real' interview, with your desire to keep up an image that fits your reputation. A reputation which I'm beginning to doubt the sincerity of."

Fiyero froze, staring at her from across the table. She met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Any reputation that requires work to maintain, can't be that genuine."

His brow slowly creased, disconcertment shadowing in his eyes.

"Is that what your article is going to say?" he finally asked her quietly. "Are you going to call me out?"

Elphaba took another drink of her soda.

"I think I can find a way to convey both sides. I won't pretend to understand why it's so important to hide the real you, however."

Fiyero frowned quizzically at her but said nothing.

Elphaba sighed, lowering her eyes. "We have the opposite problem, I think. You only want people to see the image you present to them. You don't want people looking past your reputation. People don't bother looking past mine."

A glimmer of understanding flickered in Fiyero's eyes.

"My dad is a great king," he said suddenly. "He's a great father, and a great man. It's big shoes to fill, and they're shoes that I don't particularly want to wear myself, but I have no choice in the matter."

Elphaba raised her eyes. "He's a good father?"

"The best. And _that_ you can print."

Elphaba smiled a little. "What makes him so great? As a father, I mean."

"Doesn't everyone think their father is the best father?" Fiyero returned. "I mean, don't you?"

Elphaba faltered, unsure how to respond to that.

"My father has proven himself to be a good father," she said carefully. "But I've never been under the illusion that he's the best. He's made mistakes. And he'd be the first person to agree with me."

Fiyero frowned at that.

"But you're close?"

"Yes."

Fiyero clearly had more questions, but Elphaba wasn't about to give him any answers.

"Do you have a favourite story about your father?" she asked instead.

Fiyero didn't even have to think before launching into a story from his childhood.

Elphaba found herself actually enjoying talking to Fiyero. He was an excellent storyteller, she had to admit. And the more they talked, the more confident she became that there was more to him than his reputation would suggest. Although she still had no answers why it was necessary to hide his real self from the public, especially those who would one day live under his reign as king.

She definitely had to work harder at this interview to pry answers from Fiyero, but two hours later, she felt she had enough to write her article.

"I think that's everything," she said, double checking her notes. "Thank you for taking this seriously. Eventually."

Fiyero toasted her with his drink. "Thank _you_ for not making this unbearably painful."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I try."

He grinned and sat forward. "So. You owe me an explanation."

Elphaba had really hoped he'd forgotten about that. She winced slightly, and his smile widened knowingly.

"Oh."

"Whatever it is, it's off the record," Fiyero reassured her.

"That only applies to reporters," Elphaba sighed.

He waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. It's just- I won't repeat anything you tell me. I promise."

Elphaba knew she had no reason to take him at his word. She barely knew him, after all, and there was every chance whatever she told him today would be gossip fodder around campus by tomorrow. But, as far as she could tell, he _had_ kept his promise to grant her a real interview. Didn't that demand a kept promise in return?

"Right," she said quietly, frowning.

She wasn't sure how much she could say that would keep her promise, while not necessarily revealing too much.

"When did you break your arm?"

Elphaba was startled by the unexpected question. "Excuse me?"

He nodded towards her and Elphaba looked down at herself to see she'd been rubbing her left arm without even realising it.

"You _did_ break your arm, yeah?" Fiyero asked.

"Yes. When I was nine," Elphaba answered. "How did you know?"

"Broke my leg was I was fifteen. It aches when the weather's bad too."

Fiyero shrugged. "Anyway. I'm hungry. Are you hungry? I'm going to order some food."

He got up and made for the bar and Elphaba couldn't help but note that he did seem to be favouring his left leg over his right somewhat.

He returned with two menus and handed one to Elphaba.

"What happened?" Elphaba asked him, accepting the menu absent-mindedly. "To your leg, I mean?"

She was trying to rack her brain to see if she'd heard the story before. Surely the Vinkun prince breaking a bone would have been news?

Fiyero looked a little sheepish. "Uh, skiing accident."

That didn't sound too bad.

"Ok?"

"Trying to impress a girl," Fiyero continued.

There it was.

"Broke it in three places," Fiyero said, almost proudly.

"And the girl?"

"Was not impressed at all," he laughed. "She's married to a Viscount now, if I'm thinking of the right girl…"

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked again.

"I fell down some stairs," Elphaba replied shortly.

She didn't want to get into _that_ story.

Somehow, Fiyero coaxed Elphaba into ordering dinner and Fiyero let the topic of the paper he'd returned to her drop as they waited for the food to arrive.

"I still don't understand why you're so curious about this," Elphaba said, when he ultimately brought it up again.

Fiyero chewed thoughtfully before answering. He didn't really understand either.

"You wrote something. Something about luck versus fate. I don't know. I was intrigued. It seemed almost like you were saying you can't believe in luck and fate at the same time."

"Actually, I don't believe in luck _or_ fate," Elphaba replied without thinking.

Fiyero rose an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well, not fate," she amended. "I'm a little more open to the idea of luck. But luck and fate do seem to contradict one another, don't they? Luck is chance. Fate means everything is meant to be. I'm not sure how well the two go together."

Fiyero hadn't really thought about that before.

"I… huh. That's interesting."

Elphaba's lips quirked slightly. 'Interesting' was what Nessa always said, but she never really thought it was interesting.

"So, if these notes aren't for a philosophy class, what are they for?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba winced slightly. "A writing project," she replied.

She offered nothing more.

"And I assume only your closest friends get the details on this writing project?" Fiyero guessed.

"I would agree, except that I don't have any close friends," Elphaba said. "I don't have friends at all, and I have few people whom I can say are friendly."

The question of 'why?' was on Fiyero's lips, but it died before it fell forth. He may have preferred to appear brainless, but he wasn't an idiot.

Even he could add two and two and come up with four.

"I'm sorry," he said, not sure what else he could say.

She simply shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she replied and resumed eating.

Fiyero watched her with a frown for a moment. He was beginning to think that it _did_ matter.

And he was beginning to wonder how he could change that. Although he wasn't sure why he cared so much.

 **AN. I had a moment over the weekend where I was re-reading some of my own things _(After Forever)_ and then ended up re-reading a bunch of reviews for certain chapters. I had to take a moment to reflect on the familiar names between that and other past stories and this one. ****So I just want to yet again thank everyone who reviews, especially those who have been reading a lot of my fics.**

 **Where does everyone else sit on the Fate vs Luck conversation?**


	9. Chapter 09

**Chapter 9**

Elphaba had known that Rais was thrillified with her interview with Fiyero, he'd told her so when he'd first read her first draft. And again, when he'd read her second, third and fourth draft.

But he'd given her absolutely no warning that he was printing it on the front page, above the fold.

That happy discovery was left for Elphaba to find on Wednesday morning when she and Nessa stopped to grab a copy of the _Gazette_ on their way to breakfast.

"Elphaba!" Nessa gasped. " _The front page!_ You've _never_ made the front page before!"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure it was front page news when I was born," Elphaba said, although her voice shook slightly, which rather ruined the casual tone she was trying to affect.

Nessa ignored her, already seizing multiple copies of the paper.

"Nessa, you don't need _five_ copies," Elphaba protested. "Who in Oz's name are they all for?"

"Ima and Papa, Grandma and Grandad, Nikita and Ottah. And me, of course," Nessa replied immediately. "Are we missing anyone else? Oh, you need a copy, too."

"I don't need a copy, I _wrote_ the damn thing," Elphaba said, slightly exasperatedly. "And if you're giving copies to everyone we know, I think that will suffice."

Nessa agreed, but snuck another three copies onto her pile before Elphaba could wheel her away. Elphaba saw, but only rolled her eyes.

Elphaba had no classes on Wednesdays this semester, and she'd planned to spend it in the library studying. However, she made a mental note to stop by the _Gazette_ office that afternoon to thank Rais personally.

It seemed everyone in the dining hall had a copy of the paper that morning, and the not so subtle glances Elphaba was attracting made her stomach churn.

"Why is everyone looking?" she asked Nessa anxiously. "I just _wrote_ the article, it's got nothing to do with me."

Nessa was deeply absorbed in her own copy, although Elphaba was sure she'd already read it twice.

"Hmm?" she said absentmindedly, looking up from the paper and around the room as though she hadn't noticed. "Fabala, it's good. So good. That story about how he broke his leg? And when he talks about his parents? I think it's so lovely he's so close with his parents, but I _never_ would have guessed it."

Nessarose shook her head slightly. "Although his 'Dancing Through Life' philosophy? I mean, I'd heard a few things around campus since he'd arrived; but you've made it appear much deeper than I'd first thought."

Elphaba smiled faintly, although it could have been interpreted as a grimace. If she'd had her way, she wouldn't have included _that_ part. She still thought it was completely ludicrous. But she'd promised Fiyero she'd keep his façade present, and she knew that was a key part of it. She was glad, however, that she'd asked to include the story about his leg. Fiyero had no qualms about _that_ being printed.

"He appears very charming," Nessa mused and Elphaba's eyes narrowed.

"Don't go there, Nessie," she warned her. "Fiyero Tiggular is not the kind of boy you date."

Nessa's eyes widened. "I never said anything about dating him," she protested laughingly. "And I hardly think I'm his type. I just think he seems a lot nicer than I originally thought."

Elphaba sighed, frowning at the paper on the table. "Maybe I gave him too much credit in the article."

Nessa rolled her eyes.

Elphaba spent her morning in the library, and then took a break for lunch. Before she returned to the library, she stopped by the _Gazette_ office.

"Rais!" she called out, seeing him across the room.

He looked up and positively beamed at her. "Elphaba! I've had people talking to me _all day_ about the interview with Tiggular! Are you pleased?"

"You didn't tell me you were printing it on the front page!" was Elphaba's reply, still rather in shock by it all.

Rais shrugged. "Well, it was between you and Clarence's story on whether the university needs to budget more for dorm maintenance. Yours was more interesting. Better headline."

Elphaba grimaced. "Yeah, about that. _'Meet Prince Charming?' Really?!"_

"What?" Rais replied innocently. "You've got to appeal to your audience, Elphaba. You'll learn this."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, something was delivered for you too. It's on your desk," Rais pointed and then headed off.

"Delivered? From who?" Elphaba questioned in surprise.

Rais looked back at her and shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't see them arrive. They just kind of… appeared."

Puzzled, Elphaba headed over to her desk, and then froze. Sitting in the centre of her desk was a large vase, full of brightly coloured flowers. The roses were easy to identify, yellow and peach. The red blooms mixed among them were unknown to Elphaba, but the contrast of the three colours was beautiful. It reminded her of a sunset.

There was a voice in her head that wondered if the flowers had been misdelivered and were actually intended for someone else. She had to search carefully among the flowers to find a card, and when she did, it was decidedly her name, spelled correctly, written on the little envelope.

Elphaba's breath caught slightly as she removed the card from within the envelope and read the brief message within.

 _Thank you, friend._

 _Yero._

It seemed crazy that three little words could bring a lump to her throat, yet it did.

Elphaba had been given flowers only a few times before in her life- from her father and Annalie when she'd finished school, from Ottah and Melia on her eighteenth birthday, and from her family when she'd started work. But never before had she received flowers so beautiful, or had they been able to bring tears to her eyes.

Not wanting to leave the flowers on her desk, Elphaba immediately carried them back to her dorm. But she was reluctant to leave them alone, lest Pinar find them and think they were for her. Which meant she was reduced to studying in her room.

The room was blissfully empty, but Elphaba didn't get much studying done. Her gaze kept drifting to the vase sitting on her nightstand.

Pinar returned to the room not long before dinner. As Elphaba had immediately known it would, her gaze went immediately to the flowers.

"Who are those from?" she demanded.

"It doesn't matter. They're not for you."

Pinar sneered. "Like anyone is sending _you_ flowers."

She came closer and halted. Elphaba had positioned the card so that her name on the envelope was displayed clearly. Pinar couldn't miss it and Elphaba stared at her expectantly, waiting for an argument.

Pinar's mouth clenched shut and her gaze hardened. She tossed her things onto her bed, retrieved something from her closet, and disappeared into the bathroom.

Taking the opportunity to escape, Elphaba headed down to Nessa's room.

"You look happy," Nessa greeted her.

Elphaba smiled. "I got the most beautiful flowers today," she said.

Nessa's eyes widened. "From _who?"_ she demanded.

Elphaba paused, the smile lingering on her lips. "A friend."

She chuckled at the expression on her sister's face, a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"I'll tell you at dinner," she promised. "Not that there's much to tell."

As they headed out of Crage Hall, they passed Galinda Upland and her friends coming in. Galinda met Elphaba's eyes briefly and glared at her furiously. Her eyes were rather red-rimmed, Elphaba noted.

"What's _her_ problem?" Elphaba muttered to Nessa.

Nessa looked up at her sister and grimaced. "Um, from what I hear, she's a little upset about the article," she said carefully.

Elphaba frowned. "What? _My_ article? Why? Because she didn't get the assignment?"

Nessa looked around and lowered her voice. "No… uh, you quoted Fiyero as saying he was single."

Elphaba was still clueless. "Yes… because he _told_ me he was single."

"Yes," Nessa replied patiently. "But Galinda thought otherwise."

" _Oh,"_ Elphaba said, finally understanding. Then she scoffed. "Well, that's not my problem."

Once they'd sat down and gotten their food, Elphaba happily told her sister about the flowers Fiyero had sent her. Nessa seemed rather entranced by the story.

"He bought you _flowers._ That's so lovely! What did he thank you for?"

"For making me look good."

Both girls jumped and looked up to see Fiyero standing by their table with a tray full of food, grinning down at them.

Elphaba immediately blushed at being caught talking about him.

"Hi," she said, flustered. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"It's dinner time," Fiyero replied as though it were obvious. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Elphaba gaped at him, lost for words. Sometimes Xia would join them for meals, or Nessa's friends may sit with them. But usually dinner was just for the sisters. No one ever asked to join them.

She was distinctly aware that they were attracting attention as other students began to notice Fiyero's presence in the room. Mostly girls.

"Of course," Nessa spoke up when it became clear Elphaba wasn't going to say anything. "Please."

She gestured with a smile, and Fiyero took the seat opposite Nessa and next to Elphaba with an easy smile.

"Fiyero Tiggular," he introduced himself, offering a hand to Nessa.

"Nessarose Thropp," Nessa replied politely, shaking his hand.

Understanding dawned in Fiyero's eyes. " _Right,"_ he said, his eyes flickering between the sisters.

"I thought the interview was wonderful," Nessa told him. "Although I suppose I'm slightly biased," she admitted. "Given who wrote it and all."

Fiyero grinned. "People have been asking me to autograph it all day."

That jerked Elphaba from her shocked stupor. "Seriously?" she demanded.

Fiyero nodded but didn't seem that bothered. "People have asked me to sign heaps weirder stuff over the years," he shrugged. "An article isn't that strange."

He grinned slyly at Elphaba. "So, you got my flowers?"

Elphaba resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I did. Thank you. They're beautiful. How did you even find my desk? Or deliver them without being seen?"

He looked at her innocently. "Hey, surely as a reporter, you know the importance of protecting your sources."

Elphaba did roll her eyes at that.

Conversation over dinner mostly consisted of Fiyero asking the girls questions about themselves. Elphaba gave short, careful answers, but Nessa seemed happy enough to answer his questions.

"Oh, there's Salmythe," Nessa said suddenly. "She wasn't in Art History class this afternoon. I'll be back," she said quickly, and wheeled herself away towards her friend.

Elphaba toyed with the vegetables on her plate.

"On your card. You called me a friend," she said, not looking at him.

"Yep," Fiyero nodded.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I thought we could be friends."

"Friends? You haven't said two words to me since we did the interview, and now you want to be friends?"

"In my defence, you are _very_ hard to track down," Fiyero replied. "But it just means I've had a lot of time to think about how I think we should be friends."

Elphaba chuckled despite herself.

"I already know more about you than I do anyone else on campus," Fiyero pointed out. "We shared a meal- two now. Doesn't that make us friends?"

Elphaba considered that carefully. "I suppose it's a start," she said slowly.

Fiyero smiled. "Ok then."

Elphaba kept poking her food around her plate.

"What about your image?" she asked him. "Your _reputation?_ Where does being friends with the green girl fit in with that?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Maybe I'm starting to think it doesn't matter so much anymore."

Elphaba arched an eyebrow. "You came to this conclusion in the past two days?"

"I've had a _lot_ of positive feedback from the article today," Fiyero grinned and Elphaba laughed lightly.

"I still don't understand why you need to hide behind an image in the first place," she said.

Fiyero let out a breath slowly. "It lowers expectations," he replied.

Elphaba frowned.

Nessa returned to the table a moment later. "Fabala, I'm going to have ice-cream in town with the girls after dinner. Did you want to come?"

"It's January," Elphaba replied, as though that said everything.

Although to Nessa, it did, and she chuckled.

"Fabala?" Fiyero repeated.

Nessa flushed prettily. "I couldn't say 'Elphaba' as a child," she explained. "And it kind of stuck."

"It's for family use only, so don't even start," Elphaba warned him, correctly interpreting the look on his face.

"Although Tomaz used to say ' _Elba'_ for a while, remember?" Nessa giggled.

"Who's Tomaz?" Fiyero asked in interest.

"Our brother," Elphaba replied shortly.

"He's nine," Nessarose offered freely, turning to Fiyero. "You're an only child, aren't you?"

Fiyero grinned. "When you get perfection on the first try, you don't need any more," he said modestly, making Nessarose giggle.

" _Ow!"_ Fiyero cried suddenly, drawing attention from those around them as he rubbed a spot on his arm.

" _Elphaba!"_ Nessa exclaimed, looking rather shocked.

Elphaba turned to Fiyero. "If we're going to be friends, I'm going to let you know when you say something stupid," she informed him.

"By _pinching_ me?" Fiyero demanded.

"I'm still deciding on the exact method," Elphaba replied.

Fiyero sniffed. "Well, just for that, _you_ can buy me an ice cream."

Elphaba startled. "What? Ice cream? It's _January,"_ she repeated.

"What's your point?" Fiyero returned.

And so Elphaba found herself walking into town with Fiyero for ice cream, with Nessa and her friends leading the way, who seemed rather star struck at finding themselves in the prince's company.

Fiyero seemed unbothered, or perhaps oblivious to this.

"What were the red flowers?" Elphaba asked him, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "In the bouquet? I didn't recognise them."

"Sweet peas," Fiyero replied, easily. "So, uh, there's a big age gap between you and your brother, isn't there? You're what, nineteen? Twenty?"

Elphaba crossed her arms tighter around her to ward off the chill of the night air.

"Twenty-one. We're eleven years apart," she said agreeably, looking up at the sky and wondering if it was going to snow.

Fiyero waited expectantly, but she said nothing more on the topic.

"You said you're close with your dad. Are you close to your mom?"

"Stepmom," Elphaba corrected immediately, and then flinched, her steps faltering.

Fiyero paused too, his brow raising slightly. "Sore point?"

"No," Elphaba said hastily. "No, not at all. Shit," she said quietly, closing her eyes briefly.

Fiyero waited patiently.

"I _love_ Annalie," Elphaba explained, moving forward again. "I do, and we _are_ close."

"But?"

"But she's not my mother," Elphaba said. "I _had_ a mother, even if I don't remember her very much. But Annalie is wonderful, and our whole family would be much worse off if she wasn't here. I mean that literally. Before she came- "

Elphaba cut herself off.

"Sorry," she apologised. "I'm not used to having to explain this. All of Munchkinland knows the story, it feels like."

Fiyero shrugged. "Hey, I love a good story."

All the while he was trying to remember what had happened to the Governor's first wife. He couldn't even remember if he'd known the Governor had been married twice.

Elphaba studied him from the side of her eyes carefully. "I'm not sure I know you well enough for this story."

"That's a Level Two Friendship story?"

She laughed. "Sure, if you want to put it that way."

"What level is getting the rest of the explanation of whatever it is you're writing?" Fiyero asked.

"Much higher than two," Elphaba replied immediately.

Fiyero accepted that without question.

"What does your mother- er, stepmother do?" he asked as they approached the ice cream parlour.

"She's a librarian," Elphaba answered shortly and went to join her sister.

Fiyero ended up treating them all to ice cream, pestering Elphaba until she gave in and ordered a cone for herself.

As they walked back to school, Elphaba and Fiyero once again found themselves walking separately from the others. Nessa and her friends were rather giggly, as they gushed over the fact the scandalacious Fiyero Tiggular had bought them ice cream.

"I didn't get a chance to say earlier," Fiyero said. "But I did think the article was really great. You're a really good writer."

"I kind of figured you were a fan from the flowers," Elphaba replied dryly. "But thank you."

"I sent a copy to my parents," he said nonchalantly and Elphaba froze.

"You- you _what?"_ she gaped at him.

Fiyero stopped, looking at her bemusedly. "I sent them a copy. Why?"

Elphaba's legs felt rather weak. "You sent my article to the king and queen of the Vinkus?" she asked faintly.

Fiyero snorted. "I sent a copy to my mom and dad," he corrected her. "And I hope you appreciate that. After all that nice stuff I said about them, I'm going to have to get them _really_ good birthday presents this year."

"What if they don't like it? What if they think I said something horrendible?" Elphaba demanded, aghast at the very thought.

"Then they'll sue you for defamation," Fiyero quipped.

He rolled his eyes at the look of horror on her face.

"Relax, will you? They'll love it. If anything, you made me seem _too_ awesome," he reassured her.

Elphaba chuckled breathlessly. "Yeah, I had that thought myself actually," she said.

Fiyero laughed.

"I'm going to enjoy having you as my friend," he told her brightly as they approached Crage Hall, after Fiyero had insisted on walking them back to the building.

Elphaba smiled faintly. "You're the first person who's ever said _that."_

Fiyero shrugged. "I think you're a very interesting person, Elphaba Thropp," he told her.

"I think you're possibly crazy," Elphaba replied, but she was smiling faintly. "Goodnight," Elphaba said to him.

"Night, friend," he replied cheerfully, and walked away with a wave.

He'd have to remember to add a postscript to his letter home asking what his father knew about the Governor of Munchkinland and his family.

Elphaba bid goodnight to her sister and her friends once they got inside, heading up to her room. Pinar was sitting on her bed, a copy of the _Gazette_ spread out in front of her, open to the second page of the interview with Fiyero.

Elphaba ignored her and went through her nightly routine in the bathroom, before settling into bed with a book.

The flowers on the nightstand were visible from the corner of her eye and it took her a moment to realise she was smiling softly.

Impulsively, she put her book aside and reached into the drawer for pad and paper.

' _Dear Annalie, Papa and Tom,_

 _Well, it does appear that I've made myself a friend._

 _And a prince, no less.'_

The letter was light and casual. She gave a quick recap of how the interview had come about, allowing herself a paragraph or so to gush about the article landing the front page of the _Gazette._

And then she told Annalie about the flowers and accompanying card; and Fiyero's sudden decision that they should be friends.

' _I don't think I'm being given much choice in the matter, which I don't know whether this is normal or not. I will say however, I don't think much of his attention span. I'm fully expecting him to get bored in a few days,'_ she wrote and signed off shortly after.

She placed the paper on top of the nightstand, so she'd remember to take the letter and post it tomorrow, making a mental note to include the extra copies of the article Nessa had grabbed.

It was only then Elphaba noticed that the card was missing from the flowers.

Frowning, Elphaba sat up straighter, looking through the blooms in case it had fallen amongst them. She checked under the vase, behind the nightstand. It wasn't there.

Her stomach churned as she glanced at the closed bathroom door, where Pinar was shut inside. This wasn't the first time she'd noticed things missing or moved, but she still had no proof that her roommate had done anything.

Yet how could the card simply disappear? It had definishly been there when she'd gone to meet Nessarose for dinner, hadn't it? Unless Pinar had brought friends into the room while she was gone and one of _them_ had taken it.

Maybe she should search the library for a spell book- nothing terrible, just something that would help her protect her belongings. She hated the thought of having to do that though. Keeping her little brother out of her room at home was one thing but having to do it here made Elphaba feel very uncomfortable. Unsettled.

And just like that, all Elphaba's warm and happy feelings from the afternoon were gone. She felt a strange sense of foreboding, almost like the ache she felt in her arm before a storm.

 **AN. *dramatic music* It's about to get interesting, people.**

 **Also- small confession. I haven't actually read any Wicked fics in a long time. Or much of any fics, really. Basically, I have time to either read or write, and I've been writing! But until I decide what my next fic is going to be, I have some time. What Wicked (Fiyeraba, preferably) fics that are great have people read lately? What should I read?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It quickly became apparent that Elphaba had underestimated Fiyero's attention span.

Fiyero would meet Elphaba for lunch on the days their schedules allowed it, and he'd eat dinner with at least Elphaba most nights, unless he had a date, but those were oddly few and far between. It didn't seem at all in line with his reputation, but she didn't question him about it. Fiyero's dating life was of no concern to her.

He would often go out to the pub or _The OzDust_ after dinner with friends he'd made in his Economic class or his building, which Elphaba had no trouble telling him was a waste of time.

"It's called having fun," he teased her lightly.

"How can you form a real friendship based around drinking and talking about sports?" Elphaba demanded.

"Very easily," Fiyero shrugged. "Come to the game with us this weekend and see."

Elphaba scoffed. "Yeah, sure."

Fiyero either ignored her sarcasm or didn't pick up on it, because somehow Elphaba found herself attending the game with Fiyero and his friends that weekend. None of his friends really spoke to Elphaba, but Fiyero sat next to her and took the time to explain all the rules to her so she knew what was happening on the field.

Elphaba couldn't help but notice there were a lot more girls in the audience than the last game she attended, many trying to gain Fiyero's attention. He didn't seem to notice, however. Elphaba figured he was more than used to it.

Nessa seemed to feel less guilty about abandoning Elphaba to eat with her friends now that her sister had a friend of her own; although she liked to eat dinner with her sister, so that they could catch up the other on their days.

Actually, the Vinkun prince seemed to surprise Elphaba almost daily as they got to know one another better. He wasn't a fan of lessons, no surprise there, but was quick with numbers; and although he protested they were boring, he seemed to remember a lot of what he had learned in Law classes at previous schools. They had many conversations about what she was covering in class, and he'd even offered to proofread an assignment for her once and had provided surprisingly thoughtful and helpful feedback for her.

On a Thursday night at the end of January, Elphaba got out of her creative writing class and found Fiyero waiting for her.

"Hey," he greeted her. "Guess what came this afternoon?"

Elphaba sighed tiredly. "Fiyero, I hate guessing games."

He grinned. "I know."

He withdrew a sheet of paper from his coat pocket and waved it at her. "My parents finally wrote back."

Elphaba's heart skipped a beat. "They did? About the article?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Want to hear what they thought?"

Elphaba eyed the letter warily. "I don't know. Do I?"

Fiyero chuckled. "Come on. Want some food? Coffee?"

Elphaba readjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I could do with some tea," she agreed.

They headed into town to _The Wilted Rose._ Fiyero asked about Elphaba's writing class, but she was rather vague in her responses. She was still trying to open up about her writing to him, but she found Fiyero's interest in it almost baffling. She just wasn't sure how to take it.

"Can you believe it's February this weekend?" Fiyero asked her as they sat down and ordered.

"I can't believe you've been here three weeks already and haven't gotten kicked out yet," Elphaba replied teasingly.

"Trust me, my parents are as shocked as you are," Fiyero chuckled.

Elphaba tilted her head sympathetically. "Yero, I was kidding."

"So was I. Mostly."

"What's the longest you've been at a school?" Elphaba asked curiously.

"A year and a half. Dahl University in the Vinkus. My first one," Fiyero replied. "It's where I did my Law classes. Shortest was my last school. Four months. And it would have been sooner if I'd had my way. It's the only school I've actively _tried_ to get kicked out of."

"I wouldn't sound so proud about that," Elphaba told him.

"See, now you sound like my mother," Fiyero grinned.

Elphaba winced slightly. "Sorry."

Fiyero's face softened. "Fae, I'm kidding," he reassured her gently. "It's fine."

He pulled out the letter again, holding it so Elphaba couldn't see it. "Alright, let's see here. _'Received your letter… glad you've settled in… don't get expelled,_ yada yada yada- "

" _Fiyero,"_ Elphaba cut him off warningly.

Fiyero held up a finger. "Ok, here we go. ' _We were pleased and surprised to hear about the interview you gave the school paper. Confusified, as to how they convinced you to do it, but we're looking forward to solving that mystery. Or perhaps it's not so much a mystery, given that the reporter's name does appear to be female.'_ My dad thinks he's hilarious," Fiyero explained, looking up at Elphaba.

"That's where you get it from then, I'm assuming?" Elphaba retorted. "Keep reading. The relevant parts."

She drummed her fingers nervously on the tabletop as Fiyero skimmed the letter.

" _Upon reading the interview, your mother remarked that it sounded like Shiz was doing you a world of good already. I have to agree. Please convey our most sincere compliments to Miss Elphaba. The article is truly wonderful, and Mom's having it framed.'_ He goes on, but… meh, it's not that interesting."

Actually, it was interesting, at least to Fiyero. His father had passed on what information he knew about Elphaba's family, not that there was much. They hadn't been aware that his eldest daughter was green, for one thing.

' _His first wife, who must be Miss Elphaba's mother, died in childbirth if I remember correctly. He remarried about a decade ago, but I don't remember to whom. Your mother thinks that she might have been a teacher.'_

It hadn't lessened Fiyero's curiosity as much as he'd hoped it would. He just had many more questions for Elphaba. But he was oddly pleased that his parents seemed to like Elphaba. He'd already written back to them that afternoon, not even realising until he was done just how much Elphaba's name had been mentioned.

' _She sounds like she's been a good influence on you,'_ his father had commented.

Fiyero supposed he was right. He hadn't even realised until earlier that week that he was attending (most) of his classes and even doing some work. Not typical behaviour for him, but the disapproving look Elphaba gave him when he told her he "couldn't be bothered" going to class… it made his stomach squirm. He couldn't work out why though.

Fiyero smiled warmly at Elphaba as he folded up the letter and returned it to his pocket. "They loved it. Honestly. My dad makes a joke here about hiring you as my Press Secretary after you graduate, and I'm not sure he's kidding."

Elphaba laughed slightly. "Press Secretary? What, to make you look good?"

"I think that's the general idea," Fiyero grinned.

"That sounds like it would be a never-ending job, and utterly exhausting."

"Oh, but being a lawyer and putting away criminals on a daily basis is going to be a walk in the park?" Fiyero challenged her teasingly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I haven't decided _what_ kind of law I'm going to practice yet. I don't know. Maybe I'll defend people instead. Maybe I'll go into politics, like my father."

"But why law?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I've always been fascinated by it. We've got family friends whose youngest son studied law here. He's an estate lawyer in Munchkinland now. He'd come back from Shiz and tell me all about his classes and what he was learning, and I'd just ask a thousand questions," she chuckled.

Fiyero smiled a little wistfully at her. "It must be nice. To be so passionate about stuff."

Elphaba smiled weakly, not sure how to respond.

Their food arrived, and immediately captured Fiyero's attention. He was a fan of _The Wilted Rose's_ all-day breakfast menu. Fiyero returned the letter to his pocket and tucked into his food as though he hadn't eaten for days.

"Did you not have dinner earlier?" Elphaba asked, wrinkling her nose slightly as she watched him dig into his food.

"Nah, I was waiting for you."

Elphaba stilled, fork poised over her plate. "You didn't have to do that."

Fiyero looked up and smiled. "I know. I'm just a nice guy," he said modestly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Besides, I like eating with you," Fiyero admitted.

Elphaba chuckled. "Really?"

"Why is that funny?" he asked her seriously.

Elphaba averted her gaze, toying with her pasta. "I guess it's not. It's just… different. Even the people I'm friendliest with on the paper wouldn't want to eat with me. My roommate can't stand being in the same room as me. Nessa and Xia are the only person I really have here to talk to."

She smiled faintly at him. "I guess you're the person who knows me best other than Nessa. Here, at least. You're pretty much the only person who's made any effort. And that's just unexpected. But not a bad thing," she reassured him.

Fiyero chewed thoughtfully on a mouthful of eggs and bacon. "I get that."

"What?"

"About people not making the effort to get to know you."

"You do?" Elphaba said sceptically.

He shrugged. "You called me out during that interview," he reminded her. "I like that. You don't treat me any differently because I'm royalty. Very few people do that. It means that you're one of the very few people I can completely be myself with. I don't have to pretend that I am who everyone thinks I am."

"If you like that, why don't you just be yourself with everyone? Drop the 'dancing through life' crap?" Elphaba asked, resuming her meal.

Fiyero smiled at her sweetly. "But then how would you know you were special?"

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh.

When she bid Fiyero goodnight after their return to school, she headed upstairs, mulling over she'd read or study before going to sleep that night.

As she opened the door, Pinar was storming around the room. She whirled around on Elphaba before she'd even shut the door.

"You know, you could think of other people," she shot at her. "You can't just waltz in whatever hour you feel like it. What if I'd been trying to sleep?"

Elphaba stared at her pointedly. "It's _eight thirty_ ," she replied. "And that's a bit rich, coming from someone who spends all night at _The OzDust_ and gets back after midnight. I don't recall you trying to keep the noise down, so _I_ could sleep."

Pinar scoffed. "Like it's all about you. It's _my_ room too," she said and then promptly stormed off into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Elphaba rubbed her suddenly aching temples as she heard water begin to run in the bathroom, collapsing on to her bed with a sigh.

Pinar had grown increasingly nasty the more time that Elphaba and Fiyero spent together. She'd taken to yelling at Elphaba over the littlest things, from leaving too much water on the floor after she'd showered; to studying too loudly. Elphaba usually found her easy enough to ignore, but even she had to admit that her dorm room was becoming an increasingly toxic place to be.

"PMS?" had been Fiyero's suggestion when she ranted to him, Nessa and Xia over dinner one night after a particularly horrendible incident.

Elphaba snorted. "Since September? Oz help us all if _that's_ the case."

Elphaba wasn't stupid enough to think Fiyero had nothing to do with Pinar's mood, although she _had_ been horrendible since returning from vacation. But she wasn't the only one who was acting different since Fiyero's arrival. Overall, all the students of Shiz still seemed flummoxed by the sight of Elphaba and Fiyero spending time together.

"Are you and Fiyero Tiggular like _friends_ now?" Boq asked Elphaba one afternoon when they were both in the _Gazette_ office, about two weeks after the article had come out.

"I think so," Elphaba replied absent-mindedly, not looking up from her article she was proof-reading. "That's what he says anyway."

Boq made a noise in his throat, which made Elphaba look up in amusement.

"You just don't like him because Galinda likes him," she laughed slightly.

Despite Galinda's initial heartbreak over Fiyero's declaration of his single status; that hadn't stopped her from flirting with Fiyero shamelessly every time she saw him. Although she'd gone from glaring furiously at Elphaba to staring at her as though there was something very puzzling about her that she simply couldn't understand. She'd even spoken to her quite civilly a few times, although only in the _Gazette_ office and never if any of her friends were around.

Rais had, for some reason, given Galinda an advice column for the paper. Elphaba suspected it was because it was less work for him than fixing up her articles. All Galinda's columns so far seemed to quote the same book- some dating guide or something, and contained some not so vague references to Fiyero.

"I just can't picture you being friends with him," Boq remarked to Elphaba. "He doesn't seem very… studious."

Elphaba snorted. "He's not," she agreed, returning to her article.

"I just didn't think you'd have anything in common."

"We don't," Elphaba said dryly. "Yet somehow, I can't get rid of him."

She wasn't entirely joking, although she didn't see it as a bad thing. While she and Fiyero didn't have many common interests, she found him easy and interesting to talk to, and she was beginning to think he understood her far more than she'd ever expected him to.

Elphaba looked up at Boq again and put down her pen.

"Look, Boq. If you like Galinda, ask her out."

Boq reddened and glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot, although it was perhaps the worst kept secret on campus.

"What if she says no?" he asked, lowering his voice.

Elphaba didn't bother lowering her own voice. "Of course she's going to say no," she said candidly. "But then at least you'll know that you tried, right?"

Boq gaped at her and Elphaba sighed.

"It's nothing against you," she reassured him. "But you're not her type."

"How do _you_ know what her type is?"

"I'm pretty sure her type is rich," Elphaba said flatly.

She checked the time and then stood up. "I've got to go, I'm meeting Nessa. See you later."

When she left the _Gazette_ office, she found Fiyero sitting on a bench outside, flicking through that week's issue of the paper, which had come out that morning.

"This needs comics," he greeted her. "And puzzles."

"I'll pass that suggestion on to the Rais," Elphaba said, rolling her eyes. "What are you doing here? Don't you have class?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Politics. I decided to skip."

Elphaba fixed him with a stern look and he laughed.

"Dr Bower's out sick. Chill, Fae. So, I thought I'd have lunch with you instead."

"I'm meeting Nessa for lunch when she gets out of her Art History class. But I'm sure she won't mind you joining us, if you want," Elphaba retorted and then did a double take as his words registered. " _Fae?"_

"Yeah, I've decided that's gonna be my nickname for you," Fiyero said nonchalantly, rising from the bench and falling into step alongside her.

Elphaba's brow creased. "Why?"

He grinned. "Sorry. You have to be a Level Ten Friend to find that out."

Elphaba scowled. "You can't do that. Call me by a name without explaining why but expect me to answer to it."

Galinda rounded the corner as they neared it, and she immediately beamed at Fiyero as the three came to a halt.

"Fiyero! What an incredible coincidence," she cried, completely ignoring Elphaba. "I heard your Politics class was cancelled and was thinking how nice it would be if we had lunch."

Fiyero smiled. "Sorry, Galinda," he replied. "I've already made plans. Raincheck?"

Galinda's face fell slightly but she forced a smile. "Of course," she gushed, twirling a curl around her finger.

Her finger stilled as her gaze moved to Elphaba and her shoulders stiffened.

"Your article this week was very… interesting," she said politely.

"Thank you," Elphaba replied, just as politely.

Galinda nodded, threw another alluring smile in Fiyero's direction and then brushed past them with a toss of her curls, heading towards the _Gazette_ office.

"You're not really going to have lunch with her, are you?" Elphaba couldn't resist asking once they were out of earshot.

"Not if Pfannee and Shen-Shen are there," Fiyero answered, making a face. "Oz, they're awful."

Elphaba laughed in agreement. Fiyero changed the subject, waving the paper in her face.

"Did you see this?"

Elphaba sighed. "You know my nine-year-old brother is more mature than you, yes?"

Fiyero merely grinned.

"See what?" she sighed again, taking the paper from him.

He pointed to something on the page as they entered the Arts building.

"The Valentine's Day Fair? What about it?"

"Are you going?"

Elphaba made a face. "Doubtful."

Nessa exited the classroom as they approached and smiled warmly. "Hi."

"Hi. We still on for lunch?" Elphaba asked her.

Nessa agreed, not even questioning Fiyero's unplanned presence. "Yes, of course. Can we go somewhere other than _The Wilted Rose,_ though? I'm starving."

"The pub?" Fiyero suggested and the girls agreed.

That being decided, he turned back to Elphaba.

"Why won't you go to the fair?" he almost demanded as they made for _The Hare and Turtle._

"Are you talking about the Valentine's Day Fair next weekend?" Nessa chimed in. "Elphaba says Valentine's Day isn't worth festivating. It's not a real holiday."

"Sure it is," Fiyero argued. "It used to be the Brunhilla Festival!"

"Yeah, _used_ to be," Elphaba retorted. "No one except the most Orthodox Lurlinists has festivated that since the Wizard arrived and changed it to Valentine's Day. Besides, the fair isn't even actually _on_ Valentine's Day. It's the day after. If it was _that_ important, it'd be held on the actual day. The only purpose of Valentine's Day is to make single people feel bad about being single and guilt those in relationships into making a fuss."

"Not true," Fiyero corrected her. "It's an excellent day to meet girls."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Not interested in _that_ , but good to know."

"Are you going to the fair, Nessa?" Fiyero asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, with the girls. Well, Norfina and Vicnia. Salmythe has a date, so she's going with him," she corrected herself.

Fiyero turned back to Elphaba. "Come with me," he beseeched her. "Just for an hour."

"I think being there with me will kind of get in your way of meeting girls," Elphaba pointed out.

Fiyero grinned. "Maybe that's the point."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So, I'm your shield? Great. That sounds like my idea of a perfect day."

Fiyero just looked at her imploringly, until she gave in.

"Oh, for the love of Oz. _Fine._ I will go. For _one_ hour," she told him firmly.

He grinned at her. "That's all I ask."

Elphaba was sure she'd regret her decision, but it seemed to make Fiyero happy. And for some unknown reason, that seemed important.

That night, Nessa was writing a letter to their grandparents while Xia worked on an assignment for one of her classes when there was a harsh knock on the door. Xia hadn't even put her pen down before the door opened and Elphaba let herself in, glowering.

"Pinar?" Nessa guessed.

Elphaba huffed and threw herself onto her sister's bed.

"How is it possible for one person to be so horrendible?" she demanded.

"What has she done now?" asked Xia.

"I ducked to the library to return a book, and when I came back, she was poking around my desk. When I called her out on it, she accused _me_ of using her makeup."

"But you hardly ever wear makeup," Nessa frowned.

Elphaba sighed. "She only did it as if that would make me forget she was going through my desk. Although I don't know what she was hoping to find. We're not studying anything similar. I don't think."

She ran a hand through her hair frustratedly.

"I'll only be here for a bit," she said apologetically. "I think she's going to _The OzDust_ tonight."

"It's fine, Fabala," Nessa smiled.

Elphaba looked to Xia. "Am I distracting you from your work, Xia?"

"Not at all, Miss Elphaba," Xia reassured her.

As she returned to her work, Nessa lay her book aside and turned to her sister.

"So, you're going to the fair with Fiyero?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "For an hour. To keep him from being mobbed by girls, apparently."

"You could have said no," Xia pointed out.

Elphaba made a face. "I tried. He's irritatingly persuasive. _You_ saw the puppy dog eyes, didn't you, Nessie? Try saying no to _that."_

Nessa stifled a smile. "Uh huh."

"What 'uh huh'? There's no 'uh huh'," Elphaba frowned.

"I'm just saying," Nessa said innocently. "Fiyero's been here for, what, a month now? And he spends a lot of time with you."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "Because we're _friends._ You're going to the fair with _your_ friends. I'm not making a big deal about that, am I?"

"My friends, while lovely, are not a gorgeous single prince," Nessa giggled.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and got off the bed. "I'm going to see if my room is free now. Goodnight."

Nessa smiled. "Goodnight. I'm writing to Grandma and Grandad. Shall I send them your love?"

"Yes, please. Bye, Xia," Elphaba replied and left the room with a wave, ignoring the look on her sister's face.

The next morning, after she left the weekly breakfast meeting at the _Gazette_ office to get her next story assignment, Elphaba decided to set up for the morning in _The Wilted Rose,_ after deciding the dining hall coffee was just not going to cut it this morning.

She wanted to do a final edit of a short story she had written for her writing class before she submitted it that night. The café wasn't always the best place to write, but for editing purposes, it was fine.

The assignment had been to write a short story in the gothic genre, after they'd studied a novel in the genre. Elphaba had always quite enjoyed reading gothic literature, but she'd surprised herself with how much she'd enjoyed writing it.

"Hey, Fae."

Elphaba looked up as Fiyero slid into the chair opposite her.

"Hi. Is your Economics class over already?" Elphaba asked, checking the time.

She'd been there for nearly two hours and hadn't even realised it.

"How was it?"

Fiyero shrugged, reaching for a menu. "It was alright. I don't totally hate Econ," he admitted.

Elphaba smiled slightly. "Really? There's a class you actually like?"

"I didn't say that. I said I don't totally hate it," Fiyero corrected her.

She rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "It would ruin your image _that_ much to admit to enjoying one of your classes?"

Fiyero merely grinned at her. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Working."

Fiyero leaned forward, peering at her papers. "Working on your… _secret writing project?"_ he asked, lowering his voice.

Elphaba chuckled, pulling the papers closer to her. " _No._ It's just an assignment for my writing class. I'm just doing a final edit."

Fiyero sat up straighter, closing the menu. "Can I read it?"

"No," Elphaba refused immediately.

"Oh, come on Fae," Fiyero wheedled her. "You haven't let me read _anything_ you've written."

"Not true. You've read any articles I write for the paper, and a few Law essays."

Fiyero looked at her pointedly. "Elphaba."

"What? It's a _very_ small list of people who have read what I write. My parents, my teacher and the odd bit that gets shared in class. _That's_ only because I have no choice. Even Nessa only just got added to the list, and she's my _sister_. I've only known you for a few weeks."

"Yes, but I'm dashingly handsome and incredibly charming," Fiyero grinned at her.

Elphaba stared at him pointedly, which he ignored.

"Please?"

He looked at her imploringly. Elphaba caved more quickly than she wanted to admit.

"Fine," she sighed and slid it across the table to him.

Fiyero beamed as he took it and immediately settled back in his chair to read it.

Elphaba watched his face carefully, trying to interpret his facial expressions to gauge his reaction to the story. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the tabletop, chewing on her nail on the other hand.

"So?"

Fiyero held up a finger. "Shhh. I'm reading."

Elphaba held back a sigh and waited.

Ten minutes later, she was still waiting, rather less patiently.

" _Well?"_

" _I'm still reading."_

"Oh my Oz, how _slow_ do you read?" she demanded.

Fiyero merely hushed her again.

An age later it seemed, he looked up, just in time to stop Elphaba from chewing off her own finger.

"Well?" she asked again, holding her breath slightly.

"It's great, Fae. Although I do enjoy a good ghost story," he replied, handing it back to her. "Best story I've read in ages."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I don't know if that means much coming from you but thank you."

Fiyero picked up the menu again. "Hey, I read."

"More than the comics section in the newspaper," Elphaba teased him and he grinned.

"I also read the sport pages. Speaking of the paper, what's your next story?"

Elphaba tucked her work securely in her bag, but her eyes lit up as she answered.

"Oh, it's great! It's a study that they do every five years, to track the popularity of degrees. Like, Rais was telling me that last time, they discoverated that students majoring in Literature has gone up twenty per cent in the last five years."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Elphaba laughed. "Ok, so _you_ won't be reading the article."

"No, I'll read it!" Fiyero reassured her quickly. "I mean, you write it, I'll read it. But it doesn't _sound_ like a thrillifying read."

She smiled. "Yeah, no one else seems to think so either," she said dryly. "Rais was going to give it to one of the senior writers, but no one wants to deal with all the research it takes. Luckily, I don't mind it. Anyway, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

Fiyero stared at her blankly. "The day? I'm still deciding on breakfast- if someone would quit distracting me from the menu."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm going anyway. I want to see how much research I can get done before I go to writing class tonight."

"You're not going to sit with me while I eat?"

Elphaba stared at him exasperatedly, and he grinned. "Fine. Go. Are you eating before or after class tonight?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I think I'll just grab a sandwich on my way to class. I think I'm going to go to the library after class and try and get some more work done."

She bid farewell to Fiyero and headed to the _Gazette_ office, going to the archives to dig out the last few studies for a bit of context.

She settled at her desk to take notes, tuning out the bustle of the office around her. She hadn't been working very long before someone cleared their throat beside her.

"Ahem."

Elphaba glanced up to see Galinda standing next to her desk with pen and paper.

"I'm doing a Valentine's Day survey for the next issue, and Rais wants as many people in the office to do it as possible," she said before Elphaba could say anything.

Elphaba slowly put down her pen. "What kind of survey?" she asked warily.

Galinda looked at her as though that was an odd question. "A survey about love. You know, who believes in love at first sight, do soulmates exist. That kind of thing. They're all yes and no questions. Will you do it?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I guess," she agreed half-heartedly.

Galinda beamed and handed her a sheet of paper. "Great. Just return it to me when you're done."

"No need," Elphaba replied, already speeding through it and handing it back to her.

Galinda took it and glanced at her answers. "You don't believe in love at first sight _or_ soulmates?" she asked incredulously.

"Nope."

Galinda gaped at her. "Sweet Oz, it's a wonder you believe in love at _all,"_ she muttered, walking away.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and returned to her work.

She found the research for the article completely fascinating, looking at the statistics of what Shiz students had chosen to study over the past few years. She became so immersed that she forgot all about food and the time, to the point she hadn't even noticed the sky darkening until a lamp switched on nearby, making her blink as the words before her suddenly came into sharp focus.

"Why did I have a hunch I'd find you still here?" a familiar voice asked.

Elphaba blinked away spots to see Fiyero leaning casually against her desk.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. You know it's a quarter to five, right?"

Elphaba gasped, jumping up from her chair and fumbling for her things. "Crap. Crap, crap, crap!"

" _Language,_ Miss Elphaba," Fiyero scolded her lightly, grinning.

She glared at him. "Shut up. I've got to go. I'm not going to have time to eat before class," she realised, mentally kicking herself for losing track of the time.

Two hours of class at this time of night was not easy on an empty stomach, no matter how much one enjoyed the class.

"Yeah, I figured," Fiyero nodded and handed her a paper bag.

Elphaba paused, midway through putting on her coat. "What's this?"

"Roast beef sandwich, apple, packet of crisps, chocolate bar and a bottle of water," Fiyero listed. "I wasn't sure what you'd be in the mood for," he shrugged as Elphaba gaped at him.

"You bought me dinner?" she asked, rather touched.

He shrugged again, rather nonchalantly. "I happened to be in the dining hall earlier and realised I hadn't seen you. I put two and two together, and took a shot," he grinned.

"I'm also pretty sure you're dying to tell me whatever facts you've already found out since you've been here," he said, following her out of the _Gazette_ office as she headed out, still putting on her gloves, hat and scarf.

"So, you can tell me tomorrow and I promise to pretend I care."

Elphaba wrapped her scarf around her neck and turned to him with a bright smile. Before she stopped to think about it, she stepped up to him, rising lightly onto her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you," she said quietly and then hurried off to her class, leaving Fiyero rooted to the spot in the middle of the hallway.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN. Just when I think you can't surprise me any more, you all do. We're over 150 reviews! I am so grateful, so I think it's convenient that this next chapter is such a big one! Enjoy!**

 **Also, shout out to Lilly, who was reviewer 150. I couldn't reply to congratulate you, because Guest review, so congrats!**

 **Chapter 11**

The Valentine's Day Fair in town was being held from ten o'clock until eight o'clock that night. It was an annual event that even pre-dated the Wizard's arrival in Oz, although it had been known as the Brunhilla Festival then. Annalie had reminisced fondly over the fairs she had attended during her own Shiz years when the girls had been home at Lurlinemas.

She hadn't pushed Elphaba to attend, knowing how she felt about Valentine's Day, but Elphaba knew she'd be thrillified that she was going.

The sole hour Elphaba had promised Fiyero was fiercely negotiated. She wanted to go first thing, to get it over and done with and when there'd potentially be less people. Fiyero wanted to go at night, when there would be fireworks, a bonfire and "the more fun stuff" as he so eloquently put it. Ultimately, Elphaba won.

It was agreed that they'd go in the morning and then Fiyero would go and find his friends when they were done. She was hopeful that Pinar would be at the fair and she could have the room to herself for a bit.

At ten minutes past ten o'clock, she was in the bathroom braiding her hair when a knock sounded on the door. Pinar got to the door before Elphaba did. She either wasn't going to the fair or wasn't going until later- it wasn't like she'd told Elphaba anything.

" _Fiyero!"_ she exclaimed brightly upon opening the door.

In the bathroom, Elphaba stilled, a wince crossing her face involuntarily. She didn't want to hear Fiyero flirting with her roommate.

"Hello. I'm here to see Elphaba," Fiyero's voice drifted across the room, his tone perfectly civil yet decidedly cooler than Elphaba had ever heard him speak.

Pinar either didn't notice the tone or chose to ignore it.

"We haven't had the chance to meet properly," she said, lowering her voice an octave or two.

Elphaba supposed she was trying to be alluring. She could practically _hear_ her flutter her eyelashes at him.

"I'm Pinar Needham. It's _such_ a thrill to meet you," she gushed.

"Thanks," Fiyero said flatly.

Elphaba realised this was the first time she'd heard her roommate's last name.

"You know, some girlfriends and I are going to the bonfire tonight if you'd like to join us," she offered, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "We have something _special_ planned."

"Well, Elphaba and I haven't really worked out our plans for tonight, but thanks for the invite," Fiyero replied, as Elphaba listened intently from the bathroom.

Pinar giggled. "Oh, you'd have _much_ more fun with us than with _her,"_ she said. "We're planning to have actual fun tonight."

There was a pause that felt like it lasted for an eternity.

"Thanks, but I have standards," Fiyero finally said, his tone even.

Elphaba had to choke back a laugh.

"Standards that don't exclude _green_ people?" Pinar demanded coldly. It didn't sound as though she was laughing.

"Oh, I'm fine with green people. It's complete bitches that don't make the cut," Fiyero replied pleasantly. "Fae? You ready?" he called out, as Pinar spluttered in response.

Elphaba hastily tied off her braid and left the bathroom, grabbing her bag from the end of the bed.

"I'm ready," she said, double checking that her key was in her bag and completely ignoring her roommate.

"Great. Let's go," Fiyero replied and ushered her out into the hall and past a glowering Pinar. "Here," he added and handed her a takeaway cup of coffee.

"I thought we agreed to meet in the courtyard?" Elphaba questioned, wrapping her hands around the warm cup, positively giddy and pretending she didn't know why. Maybe she was just suddenly super excited about the Valentine's Day fair.

"We did. But I'm up before ten o'clock on a Saturday. I needed coffee."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. It was one of the first things she had learned about Fiyero when he'd decided they would become friends. The reason he never joined them for breakfast, was simply that he was never awake in time. He'd roll out of bed and just make it to his nine o'clock class- if he bothered to go at all.

If Fiyero had his way, all his classes would be between one and three o'clock in the afternoon. Elphaba was just grateful he wasn't in charge of timetabling.

The fair was being held on the outskirts of town, where there was a huge open field and backed onto the woods that surrounded the campus of Shiz. There were plenty of people milling around the fair when they arrived, but it wasn't that crowded yet, as Elphaba had expected.

"Ok, we're here," she said flatly. "How do we kill an hour?"

Fiyero laughed. "You're fun at parties, aren't you?"

"I don't really go to many parties," Elphaba replied. "If I _have_ to spend time with large groups of people, it's family and family friends."

"What about _The OzDust?"_

Elphaba shook her head. "Never been. Not really my scene."

"How do you know if you've never been?" Fiyero challenged her.

"Anywhere Pinar and Galinda like to spend their time, is probably not my scene," Elphaba said dryly.

Fiyero opened his mouth, but then cocked his head. "Do you smell that?" he asked her, sniffing the air.

Elphaba cautiously sniffed the air too. "Food?" she guessed. "Flowers? Coffee?"

He grabbed her arm. "Let's go this way," he pointed, pulling her away.

They found the food stalls, and Fiyero immediately purchased a stick of cotton candy. He offered Elphaba one too, but she refused.

"It's too early for that much sugar," she refused.

"Ha! You admit that it's too early!" Fiyero crowed gleefully.

"For sugar. Not to be awake," Elphaba corrected him.

She did however, allow him to buy her a fresh cup of coffee.

There were girls walking around, dressed as fairies and selling roses to passer-by's. Elphaba's first thought was that they must be freezing. They weren't exactly dressed for a winter's day.

"Buy a flower for your Valentine?" one of them called out to Elphaba and Fiyero, although her eyes were firmly fixed on Fiyero.

"Valentine's Day was yesterday," Elphaba pointed out.

She turned away, stepping aside to examine a stall of homemade chocolates.

The stallholder, an elderly man, smiled at Elphaba politely. He was talking Elphaba through the different flavours, while Elphaba nodded politely. Suddenly, her vision was obscured by a purple haze.

Jumping back slightly, she blinked before she registered that it was a purple rose, and Fiyero was holding it out to her.

Elphaba's cheeks grew warm, and she accepted it silently.

"One of the fairies said there's fortune tellers the next alley over," Fiyero told her. "Want to go?"

Elphaba didn't believe in fortune tellers any more than she believed in fate, but she found herself nodding anyway.

Things between she and Fiyero had been a little weird for the past week or so. Ever since she'd unthinkingly kissed him. Neither had mentioned it- Elphaba was almost mortified when she thought back on it, and she could only take Fiyero's silence on the subject to mean that he felt the same way. She had no idea what had possessed her to do such a thing.

As they walked over to find the fortune teller, Fiyero listed everything he'd seen or heard about that he wanted to do. Collectively, it would all take longer than an hour and they both knew it.

"Are you super into Valentine's Day or you just like fairs?" she asked him, finding her voice.

"I guess the second one," Fiyero replied. "We have a fig festival in the Vinkus every year. I've gone every year since I was born. Don't you have fairs in Munchkinland?"

Elphaba shrugged. "There's a fair up in Dragon Cupboards every year, but it's really just for agriculture. Prizes for crops and animals and such. We've only gone once or twice."

They found the stall with the fortune teller, a middle-aged woman sitting at a table under a canopy. The sign next to her proclaimed ' _Discover Your Romantic Future Here!'_

The woman smiled at her and Fiyero as they approached.

"Would you like the Fates to reveal your future together?"

Elphaba opened her mouth to correct her, that she and Fiyero were not a couple, but Fiyero jumped in before she could, pressing coins into the woman's hands.

"Sure. Sounds fun, right Fae?"

Elphaba held back a groan and forced a smile. "Fun," she managed.

The woman gestured for them to seat themselves. "Welcome."

The woman got them to cut a deck of cards and shuffled them, examining several cards and frowning over them in silence. Elphaba didn't understand exactly what the woman was doing, or how it was supposed to reveal the future. Fiyero looked rather fascinated as he watched, which didn't surprise Elphaba in the least.

Eventually, the woman looked at them with a deep frown.

"I think you've been here before."

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a bewildered glance.

"Uh, no. We've only just arrived," Elphaba corrected her. "We've only just gotten past the food stalls."

The woman shook her head. "No. _Life."_

"Like past lives?" Fiyero asked.

The fortune teller looked thoughtful. "Perhaps. I think you've either been here before, or there's a lesson in the past you must learn from."

"What lesson?" Fiyero asked.

"I don't know," she confessed. "It's unclear. I think there's a story here that needs to be told."

Elphaba looked to Fiyero, who looked both confused and intrigued.

"The two of you have a long journey together," the woman told them solemnly. "I wish you well on it."

"Right," Elphaba said flatly, standing up. "Thanks for your… advice," she said, not sure what else to call it.

Fiyero added his thanks, and followed her back into the alley, looking thoughtful.

"You don't believe in past lives, do you?" Elphaba asked him.

He shrugged. "I don't _not_ believe in it."

The fair was definishly more crowded now than it had been, and people were eyeing Elphaba and Fiyero with a myriad of emotions- namely curiosity, confusion and in some cases, slightly bitter rage. Fiyero appeared oblivious to it all.

While Fiyero was in the bathroom, Elphaba came face to face with Galinda Upland and her friends, who were acting very giggly over a game of ring toss. Why, Elphaba didn't want to know.

"Hi, Elphaba," Milla greeted her.

"Hi," Elphaba replied cautiously.

Milla was in her Writing class again this semester, but they never really spoke.

Galinda looked over to her and nodded.

"Hi," she said. "Pretty flower."

"Thank you," Elphaba replied awkwardly, not sure what else to say. "Your column this week was good. Your best one yet."

That was true actually. Galinda had written about the history of Valentine's Day in addition to the survey results and had clearly put a lot of effort into it.

Galinda beamed. "Thank you."

Fiyero came up beside Elphaba. "Hi, girls," he greeted them.

"Hi, Fiyero," the four girls chorused, Galinda's face immediately brightening.

Fiyero turned to Elphaba. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Elphaba retorted.

Fiyero grinned. "I saw someone with ice cream. Want some?"

"It's _February_ ," Elphaba complained. "What is it with people eating ice cream in winter?"

Yet she allowed Fiyero to lead her away, without saying goodbye to Galinda and her friends.

They ended up staying at the fair for six hours, and Elphaba had to admit she was having fun.

They'd met up with Nessa and her friends briefly around lunch time; and Elphaba had also run into Boq and a few people from the paper at one stage.

They'd played a bunch of games, eaten a lot of food and taken part in almost everything to offer. Fiyero had refused to go near the kissing booths, which Elphaba was grateful for.

"So, your roommate," Fiyero said eventually.

They had retreated back into town to shelter at _The Wilted Rose_ and were having hot chocolate.

Elphaba made a face. "What about her?"

He'd heard many Pinar stories from Elphaba since he'd come to Shiz, but this morning had been their first meeting.

"She seems… horrendible."

Elphaba chuckled. "And you got that from two sentences of conversation. Well done."

"Hey, you date enough girls, you get a sense of these things."

"At least your questionable dating history is good for something then," Elphaba said teasingly. "Just be careful. I don't think Pinar likes to be ignored. Unless it's by me," she added as an afterthought. "Then she prefers it."

Fiyero shrugged. "What's the worst she can do?" he asked her.

Elphaba figured he had a point.

"Why are people so freaked out by your skin?" Fiyero asked her, frowning deeply.

"Weren't you when we met?"

Fiyero's nose wrinkled as he shook his head. "Nope. It was weird, but not freaky."

He leaned back in his chair, pushing his empty mug away from him. "But even if I _was_ freaked out, once I got to know you it wouldn't have been an issue. She's been living in the same room as you for five months. How hasn't she realised you're not a bad person?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Hey, it took my father nearly ten years to realise that," she said without thinking.

Fiyero stilled and then leaned forward. "Wait, _what?"_

Elphaba grimaced. "Never mind. Bad joke."

Fiyero didn't even blink. "Elphaba."

His tone was more serious than she'd ever heard before.

Elphaba reluctantly gave him a brief rundown of her childhood before Annalie had come into their lives, including the circumstances around Nessa's birth and the different treatment between herself and Nessarose. Fiyero listened intently, asking few questions as she spoke.

"And now you just pretend it never happened?" he asked incredulously when she'd finished.

He was incensed at the thought a child would be blamed for circumstances that were beyond her control. He found it difficult to equate her story with all the warm things she'd spoken about her father since they met.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, of course not. I told you when we did the interview- my father is the first person to admit that he's made mistakes and isn't the best father. But he put in the effort to change, and to gain my trust."

Fiyero examined her face carefully and then smiled faintly. "Well, I look forward to meeting him one day."

Elphaba scoffed. "Sure. That'll happen."

Despite his best efforts, Fiyero couldn't convince Elphaba to go back to the fair, and Elphaba took her leave once they'd finished their hot chocolate. She was hopeful that she'd be able to get a good block of study done that night before Pinar came back to the room.

"What are you going to do?" Elphaba asked him. "Find your friends?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Maybe. I'll find something to do. There's the bonfire tonight. I might go to that for a while."

"Well, have fun," Elphaba told him and headed back to school.

She settled at her desk with her History textbook and a sandwich from the dining hall. The room was empty, although Pinar evidently hadn't left in as good a mood as Elphaba had, if the mess around the room was anything to go by. Elphaba would be willing to bet her roommate had thrown a tantrum after Elphaba and Fiyero had left that morning- she knew the signs by now.

Elphaba placed the rose Fiyero had bought her on her desk, inhaling the scent for a moment before she opened her books. She got in two hours of schoolwork as darkness fell outside, getting so immersed that she only remembered to turn on the lamps when she couldn't read the words on the page anymore.

She worked solidly until about half-past six, when she had to take a bathroom break. Elphaba stretched tiredly as she put away her books, deciding to work on her novel with the window of opportunity she'd been given. Already trying to remember where exactly she'd left off when she'd last worked on it, she got down on her knees and reached under the bed and pulled out the chest.

It was unlocked.

Elphaba was reasonably sure it had been locked when she'd seen it the night before.

She lifted the lid with a frown, and her heart leaped into her throat. The chest was empty. Even the notebook that contained her notes, every stray scrap of paper that had been inside was gone.

Elphaba's heart began to pound. She checked under the bed, her nightstand, anywhere it could be. She lunged for her bookbag, rummaging among the other books in case it had gotten mixed up with one of her books for class. Still nothing.

Frantically, Elphaba pressed a hand against her forehead and tried to think back. When had she last actually seen her novel?

She'd seen the _chest_ last night, but she hadn't written then. The last time she'd written had been… Thursday afternoon. In the _Gazette_ office

Elphaba had been an atheist since she was six years old, but she was praying to every and any deity now that she'd accidentally forgotten it on her desk.

She grabbed her coat, gloves and scarf and barely remembered to grab her room key before hurrying out of Crage Hall. There was a chance that the office may be unlocked. If not, she'd have to hunt down Rais, one of the only people to have a key to the room- or wait until Monday morning. She really didn't want to have to wait until then.

The _Gazette_ office was dark as she approached, yet Elphaba still futilely rattled the doorknob.

"Shit," she swore quietly.

Rais could be anywhere, she knew.

Elphaba hesitated for just a moment, and then held out a hand towards the door knob, softly reciting a phrase from memory. The doorknob glowed for a moment, and there came the distinct click of a lock opening.

Elphaba felt only a little bad as she dashed inside and over to her desk. The only trouble with magically unlocking a door was that there was no spell to re-lock the door- at least none that didn't need to be removed magically to get back into the room.

"What's the point of locking something with magic if you can unlock it with a key?" Elphaba's magic teacher had once pointed out to her.

It was why Annalie and Frex hadn't wanted her to magically lock her bedroom before leaving home.

She lit the lamp nearest to her desk and rummaged around the desk but came up empty.

A sizeable rock settled into her stomach, making her feel nauseous.

As she left the _Gazette_ office, she wasn't sure where else to look. The library? Her classrooms?

She weakly began to walk back into town, intent on finding Nessa. She was positive Nessa didn't have it, but she couldn't think of anything else to do. She knew she'd learned a locating spell at one stage, but her mind was blank now. For the first time, she regretted not bringing her Sorcery books from home to Shiz.

The town was almost deserted, so she headed for the fair. She could smell the bonfire before she heard or saw anything else. The fair was all lit up now and seemed to be more crowded than anything.

Luckily, Nessarose's wheelchair made her fairly easy to spot in a crowd. Elphaba was only searching the fair for about ten minutes when she found her sister.

"Fabala!" Nessa greeted her excitedly. "You came!"

Her smiled faded somewhat as she saw Elphaba's face.

"Are you ok? What's happened? Are you with Fiyero? Are you going to the bonfire?"

Elphaba shook her head, squatting down at Nessa's side so that she was at a closer level.

"My notebook's gone."

Nessa frowned quizzically. "What notebook?" she asked, before she realised exactly _what_ notebook.

" _Oh!"_ she gasped, her eyes widening. "Are you sure?"

Elphaba nodded. "I've searched my room and the _Gazette_ office. I don't know where else to look," she said helplessly.

"I'll help you look," Nessa volunteered immediately. "Maybe you just missed it in a panic?"

She looked around to Vicnia, who was closest to her.

"You all go ahead to the bonfire without me," she said. "I need to help Elphaba with something."

"Are you sure?" Norfina questioned.

Nessa nodded. "I'm positive. Go," she urged, and the three girls headed off. "Where did you last see it?" she asked Elphaba.

Elphaba told her everything she could remember as they headed towards the school.

"We'll find it, Fabala," Nessa consoled her. "It can't be far, right?"

Elphaba just nodded.

"Elphaba!"

Elphaba looked up to see Boq hurrying towards her.

"Elphaba, you'd better come," he called out the moment he was in earshot.

"Hi Boq," Nessa greeted him. "We're actually just on our way back to school."

The Munchkin boy shook his head. "No, Elphaba. You need to come. At the bonfire… that girl, Pinar-"

Elphaba stopped dead in her tracks, turning to Boq.

"Pinar?" she asked in confusion. "What about her?"

If Boq was telling her that Pinar had been hurt in some way, Elphaba wasn't exactly going to be devastrated. Her roommate was hardly her first concern at the moment.

Boq gestured towards the bonfire. "She's got something of yours. A book or something."

Elphaba swore her heart actually stopped beating for a moment. A sharp pain pierced her chest as she gaped at Boq, and her stomach churned unpleasantly. She made no conscious decision to move in the direction of the bonfire, yet her feet moved anyway.

"She's reading it out to everyone…" Boq's voice sounded distantly, but Elphaba didn't acknowledge him.

As she got closer to the bonfire, she could see Pinar standing around a cluster of students, her back to the fire. Elphaba didn't register them, their faces blurred as fury ate away at her shock. Pinar had her notebook in her hand and was reading aloud to the others. Their laughter rang in Elphaba's ears like an echo, as she pushed through the crowd to face her roommate.

"What the hell are you doing?" Elphaba demanded.

Pinar cut off mid-sentence, giggling.

"We're reading," she replied, smirking. "What does it _look_ like?"

"You had _no_ right," Elphaba said, her voice shaking. "That is _my_ private property. Give it back."

"Um, no. We're only on chapter one still, and we need to know what happens. Right, guys?" Pinar asked the people around her, who chorused in agreement.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "Hand it over. Now."

Pinar rolled her eyes. "Oh, calm down. It's just some crappy little story."

Elphaba trembled. She could feel her magic rising, rushing through her veins and she fought to keep control of it. She hadn't lost control of her magic in years, and she wasn't going to lose it now because of Pinar.

"Pinar, give it back," Nessa spoke up from behind Elphaba.

"Or what?" Pinar challenged her, putting her hand on her hip and lifting her chin.

Elphaba's eyes flashed and she took a step forward as the students around them watched in fascination.

"You've got until I count to three to hand it over, and then I _promise_ you, I will make your life a living hell," she promised quietly. "Being roommates with the _green girl_ will be the _least_ of your worries."

Pinar scoffed derisively. "Til the count of three? Like a _child_?" she sneered.

"You want to act like a child, you get treated like a child," Elphaba shot back.

Someone sniggered, which drew a glare from Pinar.

"One," Elphaba said bluntly.

Pinar glanced to her friends.

" _Two…"_

Pinar rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh, as though she was being asked to do something really difficult.

"She's bluffing!" someone called out.

And then with a _three_ on the tip of her tongue, Elphaba saw it happen, almost in slow motion.

Pinar turned to one of her friends, and almost casually, almost accidentally, tossed the notebook into the heart of the bonfire.

It took Elphaba a moment to realise the strangled cry that rang in her ears had come from her own lips, seemingly echoed by the gasps and cries that came from the surrounding students.

She sprang forward without thinking, stretching out her arm as though to reach into the flames and pick it out. Her skin burned from the heat of the flames and but before the flames touched her, a strong arm wrapped around her chest, pinning her arms to her side and dragging her away from the fire.

A gargled sound burst from Elphaba's lips in protest, but she couldn't break free from the grip that held her.

Elphaba couldn't breathe. The smoke from the bonfire stung her eyes, or it might have been tears, she couldn't tell. There was so much noise behind her, a loud buzzing like a swarm of bees that filled her ears. Voices she couldn't discern echoed faintly, muffled as though coming from underwater. She thought she heard her name, but she couldn't seem to make her throat work to answer. Her vision was blurred, black spots dancing before her eyes until her head pounded like a drum.

And then the arm that was wrapped around her gently pulled her away. Elphaba stumbled slightly, but someone caught her and steadied her around the waist. The same person whose arm was wrapped around her? She couldn't tell. They tried to lead her away from the fire, but Elphaba found her legs wouldn't hold her. A deep voice murmured something, but Elphaba couldn't make out the words and even if she had, she didn't think she was capable of speech right now.

More voices, slowly coming into focus as though tuning a radio and breaking through the static.

"It's Boq, right?" the deep voice said, the first words she'd heard clearly although she couldn't identify the voice.

"Grab her other side, will you."

Then someone else appeared on her other side, and Elphaba was half-guided, half-carried away from the bonfire.

As the burning heat from the bonfire faded, the icy feeling in Elphaba's chest spread throughout her body, until her teeth were chattering, and she couldn't stop shaking. Her legs buckled and someone lifted her feet off the ground, holding her securely against their chest as they walked.

Elphaba knew nothing else for a time. Maybe she'd fallen asleep, or maybe she'd passed out. She'd never know.

The next thing she was aware of, she was lying on a sofa before a fireplace, her coat and outerwear removed, but a thick blanket covering her. Slowly, she sat up. She had no idea where she was.

"Fae?"

Elphaba jumped slightly, whipping around to see Fiyero sitting at a table with Nessarose, Xia and Boq, of all people.

"Oh, you're awake!" Nessa cried, looking relieved.

Elphaba's head ached, and she rubbed her temples gingerly. "Where are we? What time is it?"

"We're in my suite," Fiyero explained. "It's a little after ten o'clock."

Elphaba rubbed her eyes. "What happened?"

Boq, Nessa and Fiyero exchanged glances.

"No. No, I know _what happened,"_ Elphaba said, her voice dull as it all came screaming back to the forefront of her mind in vivid colour, making her wince.

She fixed her gaze on Fiyero. "Where did you come from?"

Xia got up from the table and headed over to the small kitchen area. Fiyero glanced after her, before he got up from the table and came over to Elphaba, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"I was in the pub with some of the guys," he explained. "We were on our way to the bonfire and I saw… what was happening."

Elphaba looked away and stared into the fire, a lump in her throat.

"Fabala?" Nessa said softly, wheeling herself over to the couch. "I'm really sorry."

Elphaba nodded, not trusting herself to speak. What was there to say anyway?

"I'm going to head off," Boq spoke up awkwardly. "I- I hope you feel better, Elphaba."

"Boq," Elphaba said, turning her head towards him as he headed for the door.

Boq turned.

"Thank you. For coming to find me," she said quietly.

Boq reddened. "I've seen you write in that book at the paper sometimes," he explained. "And then Pinar showed up and said she'd found it. I figured it was important."

"You're a good friend," Elphaba told him sincerely.

Boq's face turned even redder, but he nodded and gave a small wave as he left.

"Here you are, Miss Elphaba," Xia said, handing Elphaba a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Xia," Elphaba replied quietly.

Xia sniffed at Fiyero, before returning to the kitchen.

Elphaba stared at Fiyero in bewilderment. To her surprise, Nessa giggled faintly as Fiyero looked sheepish.

"I don't understand anything that's going on," she said. "Why is Xia even here?"

"Boq got her," Nessa explained. "We weren't sure what else to do, and Xia's a trained nurse," she reminded her sister. "I thought she was a better bet than the school nurse. And then she just stayed."

"But-"

"She wanted to make tea, but Fiyero's kitchen is empty," Nessa said. "Nothing. He doesn't even have mugs, Xia had to get the ones she keeps in our room."

Fiyero shrugged innocently. "I've never used the kitchen."

Normally, Elphaba would have made a sarcastic remark about that, but tonight she had nothing. Nessa looked at Fiyero helplessly and then sighed.

"It's getting late," she said quietly. "Fabala, should we go?"

Elphaba continued to stare at the fire. She felt rather like she had when she'd been stricken with the flu last semester, weak and achy.

Nessa glanced at Fiyero, as Elphaba sat there silently.

"Why don't you and Xia go ahead, Nessa," Fiyero suggested. "I'll walk Fae back when she's finished her tea," he promised her.

Elphaba sank back against the couch tiredly, ignoring that they were talking about her. Nessa seemed reluctant to leave her sister, but Xia and Fiyero convinced her to leave. Apparently, despite his empty kitchen, Xia trusted Elphaba was in safe hands with Fiyero. Fiyero saw Nessa and Xia out, and then returned to the couch, sitting next to Elphaba.

They sat in silence for a while, as Elphaba sipped her tea and stared at the fire.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Fiyero asked, faintly anxious. "I've got some chocolate…"

He trailed off as Elphaba shook her head faintly.

"Why would she do that?" she finally asked. "Why would she do something so horrendible?"

Fiyero paused. "I don't know," he said finally.

Tears pricked the corners of Elphaba's eyes and she squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to cry, not in front of Fiyero.

"It was a book. I was writing a book."

Fiyero nodded. "Nessa mentioned something."

"I started writing it the summer I finished school. I mean, I'd been writing since I was about ten, but it had always been short stories. Poems, plays. Nothing this big. But after I finished school, I felt like my brain was melting and I was going crazy. So, I started writing. I thought it'd be a good summer project. I've spent the past _three and a half years_ working on it, and now… it's all gone," she said brokenly.

"You can re-write it," Fiyero suggested consolingly.

Elphaba shook her head slowly. "No. It wouldn't be the same. I- I couldn't tell you a single sentence now that I remember writing," she said, a flutter of panic in her chest as she admitted that fact.

Three and a half years, and it was all just a blur.

"What's it about?" Fiyero asked her.

Elphaba swallowed hard, wondering if he'd spoken in present tense on purpose.

"It was… this man, Yoska. He's a tailor, happily married. But he and his wife can't have children. And then one day, an old woman gives him a sewing machine and tells him it'll change his fortune. He uses it to make a little quilt for their bed. A month later, his wife is pregnant. They go on to have four children, and they decide it was the sewing machine that brought them luck with the quilt."

Fiyero looked sincerely interested, so she continued.

"The sewing machine gets passed down through the generations and becomes this… legend about whatever you make with it, will bring you luck. His eldest daughter, Fawnie, uses it to make her wedding dress. They're married for over sixty years with seven living children, which she says is all the luck she needs. Eventually it goes to her daughter-in-law, who uses it to make the uniform for her husband when he goes off to war, and he survives.

But when it gets to their daughter, Syeira, she doesn't believe in the legend. But she hasn't used the sewing machine either. She says she's waiting for the perfect moment. Which now, will never come, I guess."

Fiyero was watching her intently.

"The whole luck vs fate thing makes more sense now," he said at last.

"Luck wasn't so much on my side today, was it?" Elphaba murmured. She placed her mug on the coffee table and blinked back tears.

"I can't stand the thought of being in the same room as her. Pinar's always been horrendible, but she's been worse this semester. She comes and goes at all hours, with no regards to my schedule or workload. She accuses me of taking her stuff, even though I _swear_ she's been taking things of mine."

She looked to Fiyero. "I think she took the card you gave me with the flowers," she admitted. "I can't find it."

Her voice shook, and she took a shuddering breath.

Fiyero's brow creased and he reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "You don't need the card, Fae. You know I'm your friend."

Elphaba's fingers tightened around his almost as a reflex, although she avoided his gaze. "It was nice to have it in writing," Elphaba said, her voice cracking. "You're the first person who's ever admitted to being my friend."

Fiyero's face softened.

"Stay here tonight," he offered.

Elphaba blinked, startled as she looked back at him. "What?"

"Stay here," Fiyero repeated. "You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch. That way you don't have to go back to the room. In the morning, you can talk to Morrible. Maybe there's a spare room somewhere. People drop out or transfer all the time."

Elphaba gaped at him slightly. "No, I can't," she said weakly. "Thank you for the offer, Yero, but I can't."

"Why not?" Fiyero argued.

"I can't," Elphaba repeated. "Really, it'll- it'll be fine."

Fiyero looked at her knowingly. "Fae, do you want to go back?"

Tears sprung to Elphaba's eyes before she could stop them.

"Stay," Fiyero urged her softly, brushing his thumb over her knuckles lightly. "We'll deal with it all in the morning."

Elphaba hesitated.

"I can sleep on the couch-"

"No," Fiyero refused. "No way. Come on."

He tugged her up from the couch and gently led her into his bedroom. She stood there awkwardly while he grabbed a pillow, blanket and his pyjamas.

"There's already fresh sheets on the bed," he told her. "Bathroom is next door on the left. Do you need anything?"

Elphaba shook her head mutely, rubbing her hands over her arms as she trembled.

Fiyero hadn't lit the lamp, so the room was still cloaked in darkness. Elphaba didn't think he could see her shaking, but then he stepped over to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Elphaba tensed, but Fiyero only held her tighter.

He'd never hugged her before. Yet somehow it felt like they'd done this a thousand times before. Gradually, Elphaba relaxed into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. Fiyero was only two inches taller than her, so her head fit perfectly. He rubbed small circles between her shoulder blades without saying anything and eventually the trembling lessened somewhat.

"There's extra blankets in the closet," he told her quietly, but didn't pull back. "Let me know if you need anything, ok?"

Elphaba nodded, rendered speechless once more.

She thought she felt Fiyero's lips brush the top of her head gently before he finally dropped his arms and let her go.

"Try and get some sleep," he told her and then left the room, shutting the door gently behind him.

Alone in his bedroom, she slowly eased down onto the bed. Her limbs felt heavy, she felt drained and rather how she imagined a deflated balloon might feel. She took off her boots and lay down under the covers, curling up tightly in a ball on her side. She felt so unsettled, the room was unfamiliar, and everything smelled faintly of Fiyero.

Tears sprung unbidden to her eyes, and in the dark, she couldn't hold them back. Before she knew it, Elphaba had cried herself into a restless sleep.

 **AN. The whole book burning thing was obviously inspired by _Little Women._ Considering the breakdowns I've had over losing a few paragraphs of work, losing a whole story is like my worst nightmare. Anyone here who writes can imagine the horror, I'm sure (I'm also still mad at Amy March for what she did, and it's probably been 20 years since I first read _Little Women)._**

 **You know, I've never written the 'There's only one bed and people have to share it' trope. Honestly, I've read it so many times it feels overdone to me. But if there was ever a time I was tempted to write it, it was this chapter. I _almost_ did. What do you guys think?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Elphaba wasn't even granted a moment of peace the next morning. The events of the night before came rushing back to her before she even opened her eyes. It hit her sharply, just where she was and why she wasn't in her own room, and her eyes flew open. She was curled up tightly under Fiyero's heavy covers, her arms tight around his pillow and her nose buried in his scent.

She slowly unfurled herself and sat up and squinted blearily at the clock on the nightstand. It was eight o'clock in the morning. She wondered how Fiyero had slept on the couch and if he was still sleeping now. She assumed he was.

Fiyero's room was twice the size of her own dorm room, big enough that he had fit a double bed in the room. There were heavy curtains at the window, Elphaba suspected arranged by Fiyero himself to keep out the light and help him sleep later. The room was surprisingly neat, and rather sparse. There was a desk next to the bed underneath the window, and a small bookshelf.

She got up and brushed her hair as best she could with her hands, straightening her sleep wrinkled clothes. Normally she would have taken the chance to explore the bookshelf, but she couldn't muster up the energy today.

Elphaba paused at the door listening carefully before she slowly opened the bedroom door. She only heard silence, which she assumed meant Fiyero was still sleeping, but Elphaba found the bathroom before she investigated any further. She grimaced at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale and blotchy, her eyes red-rimmed. Her limbs felt limp and achy.

When she exited the bathroom, she cautiously stepped out into the main area of the suite, which seemed empty. She looked to the left, jumping slightly as she saw Fiyero standing in the kitchen area.

"Morning," he greeted her. "Coffee? Donuts?"

Elphaba's stomach turned at the thought of food, but she accepted the coffee silently.

"You're up early," she noted, her voice sounding hoarse to her own ears.

"I can get up early for things that are important," Fiyero replied, taking a bite of a donut. "This is important."

Elphaba managed a faint smile in appreciation.

"How'd you sleep?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I don't really remember, so I guess I slept fine. You?"

"I can sleep anywhere," Fiyero grinned at her, taking another bite of donut.

Fifteen minutes later, they were heading over to Crage Hall. The smell of smoke lingered faintly in the air even now from the bonfire the night before, and Elphaba crossed her arms tightly over her stomach as they walked, as though that would block out the smell. The sky was clear and the sun was shining, but Elphaba couldn't enjoy it. This was a day she would have preferred the weather to be absolutely miserable- to fit with her emotional state.

When they entered Crage Hall, Elphaba hesitated. Did she go see Nessa, or head upstairs and get this over with?

Fiyero said nothing, waiting patiently. But as she moved towards the stairs and began climbing, he placed a comforting hand on the small of her back. The room was empty when she entered, but Elphaba couldn't take much comfort in the relief that always came with her roommate's absence.

Still sitting on the floor next to her bed was the empty chest that had once contained her novel, right where she'd left it the night before.

Elphaba averted her gaze from the chest, dumping her outerwear on her bed and grabbing some clean clothes before disappearing into the bathroom without a word to Fiyero.

A hot shower can cure anything, Annalie was wont to say. Normally, Elphaba found her stepmother was right. But not today. It didn't cure the empty feeling in her gut, but it did make her feel a little less tired, a little less achy, a little more human. Fresh clothes and brushed teeth helped a little too.

Fiyero was sitting on her desk chair when she returned, her wet hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"Feel better?"

"A little," Elphaba replied, sitting down on her bed.

The chest was now sitting on her desk, closed. Elphaba stared at it for a moment.

"It feels like someone's died," she blurted out. "I mean, I think it does. The only person I know who's died was my mother, and I don't really remember that. Is that stupid?"

"No, I don't think it's stupid," Fiyero answered. "It's a loss. You've put your heart and soul into it."

Elphaba sighed, blinking back tears. "How would you know? You never read it."

He smiled at her. "I can't imagine you not putting your heart and soul into everything you do, Fae."

Elphaba flushed, swallowing hard.

Fiyero turned around and grabbed a piece of paper from her desk.

"Before I forget."

Elphaba took it from him with a confused frown, which turned into a laugh, choked with tears.

 _Fae and Yero. Best Friends 4eva,_ Fiyero had written in permanent marker.

"Now you have it in writing," Fiyero said casually, taking it back from her and pinning it to the corkboard where she kept her timetable and other important notes. "You can't forget it now."

Elphaba smiled, her throat tight. "Thanks, Yero," she whispered.

He looked at her solemnly, reaching over to take her hand. "I mean it, Elphaba."

Elphaba just nodded.

There was a knock on the door, which made Elphaba sigh. Nessa couldn't get up the stairs of her building without a monster effort, but she thought maybe it might be Xia- sent to check up on her by her sister.

She was stunned to find Galinda Upland on the other side of the door.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded. "If you're looking for Pinar-"

"Actually, I'm here to see you," Galinda cut her off, although she didn't look too sure about that.

She looked skittish, like a horse about to bolt.

Her eyes widened and Elphaba looked over her shoulder to see Fiyero standing right behind her.

"Fiyero?!" Galinda exclaimed.

"Hi, Galinda," Fiyero replied nonchalantly.

He placed a hand on Elphaba's shoulder. "I'll let you two talk," he told her. "But I'll see you later?"

Elphaba nodded, although she was still confusified as to why Galinda Upland would be talking to her. They'd been cordial lately, but never really friendly.

"Ok, sure. Thank you. For everything."

Fiyero lowered his head and kissed her cheek. Elphaba froze, staring at him in shock. He met her eyes for the briefest moment, smiled faintly and then left.

The spot where his lips brushed her skin tingled and she felt completely flustered as she turned back to Galinda.

"Um, you wanted to see me?" Elphaba asked Galinda.

Galinda nodded, still looking stunned. "Yes. May I come in?"

Elphaba's eyebrow rose slightly. Not even Pinar's friends would step inside the room, lest they apparently catch something from Elphaba's side of the room.

"I guess," she said reluctantly, turning back into the room.

"Are you and Fiyero dating?" Galinda blurted, as she stepped into the room.

Elphaba whirled around in surprise. "What? No. We're just friends."

"Best Friends Forever, apparently," Galinda said, frowning at a spot on the wall.

Elphaba looked over her shoulder and saw the sign Fiyero had pinned up just moments before.

She blushed faintly.

"He thinks he's funny," she said weakly. "What did you want, Galinda?"

Galinda tore her eyes away from the wall with difficulty, it appeared.

"I was at the bonfire last night."

Elphaba fought back the urge to flinch.

"Great. And you won the right to gloat? To laugh at the destruction of my personal property?"

"I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry." Galinda said.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For what happened."

Elphaba stared at her in bewilderment. " _You_ didn't do it. Are you even friends with Pinar?"

"Oz no, she's horrendible!" Galinda exclaimed with a shudder.

Elphaba bit back a remark about the irony of that statement. Yet it must have shown on her face, because Galinda looked shame-faced.

"I know I haven't been very nice to you," she admitted. "But I'd _never_ do what Pinar did," she said firmly.

For some reason, Elphaba believed her.

"Well, thanks," she said finally.

"Anyway," Galinda continued. "I just wanted to apologise. And to tell you that I thought your story was... actually very interesting."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "You did?"

Galinda nodded. "Yes. Milla, you know Milla. In your writing class? She _said_ that you're a good writer, but I… well, anyway. I liked what I heard. I would have liked to have heard the ending."

"I would have liked to have known the ending," Elphaba muttered painfully, averting her gaze.

She could never quite decide how she wanted to end the book. And now, she supposed, it didn't matter at all.

Awkward silence fell, until Elphaba motioned to the door.

"I should go," she said. "I have to see Morrible."

"About Pinar?" Galinda asked. "I heard she won't be punished because it didn't happen on campus."

Elphaba blinked. "I hadn't heard that," she said. "No. I need to talk to her about something else."

Galinda nodded in understanding. She bid Elphaba farewell and then left the room.

Madame Morrible was in her office when Elphaba knocked on the door, even if it was early on a Sunday morning. She had somehow already heard about what had happened at the bonfire last night. She was sympathetic, but unhelpful.

"I'm sorry Miss Elphaba, but we don't have any single rooms free," she said after Elphaba had explained her situation.

"Nothing?" Elphaba asked, almost desperately.

Morrible shook her head. "No. We do have a double room with a bed available, but I can't approve you moving without asking the current occupant."

Who would most likely say no, Elphaba realised.

"Right."

"I heard Pinar won't be punished for what she did. Is that true?" Elphaba asked.

Morrible sighed and shuffled some papers on her desk. "Miss Elphaba, what happened last night occurred off campus, which means I am not in the jurisdiction to issue any punishments."

Elphaba stared at her incredulously. "What about the fact she stole my personal property? Punishing _that_ is in your jurisdiction, isn't it?"

Morrible inclined her head. "Yes. But as this is a first offence, I issued Miss Needham with a warning."

Elphaba rose to her feet. "A _warning?!"_ she repeated. "She _destroyed-"_

"I can only take into account what happened on campus, Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba stared at the HeadShizstress.

"Miss Needham's family is a _very_ generous supporter of our school, Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba chuckled breathlessly, shaking her head faintly.

"Right," she said faintly. "So, she'll be punished for everything that happened off campus with the police?"

Morrible just stared at her. "Miss Elphaba," she said finally. "I have spoken to Miss Needham this morning, and she has assured me that what has happened was a most unfortunate accident. Surely, you agree the police have more _important_ things to be concerning themselves with?"

Elphaba pressed a hand to her stomach, swallowing hard as her stomach sank like a stone.

"Thank you for your time, Madame," she said dully, and left the office.

Nessa was aghast when her sister filled her in.

"Are you sure that's what she said?" she demanded.

"She didn't say it _outright,"_ Elphaba admitted, pacing around the room. "But it was _perfectly_ clear. Pinar got to her already and promised a big donation from her family if she wasn't punished. She gave the sob story about it being an _accident,_ and Morrible let her off with a warning."

"Write home," she urged her sister. "Maybe Papa can do something?"

Elphaba made a face. "What can he do? Besides, if I write home, he and Anna will storm up here and cause a fuss."

She sighed. "Can I just wait until we go home for spring vacation next month?"

Nessa thought about that for a moment, easily able to predict how their parents would react to the news. "It's not that far away. It might be better to tell them in person," she agreed. "What are you going to do about the room situation?"

"What room situation? There's no rooms," Elphaba said tiredly lying on Nessa's bed and staring at the ceiling. "Just one person with a spare bed, who wouldn't want to room with the green girl any more than Pinar does."

Nessa bit her lip. "Maybe whoever it is wouldn't mind rooming with Pinar? And you could just… swap?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Nessie, there's maybe a dozen people on this campus I don't hate, but I wouldn't subject anyone to rooming with Pinar."

She sighed and sat up. "No. I'll just… avoid the room as much as I can."

"You're _already_ avoiding the room as much as you can," Nessa pointed out.

"I can do better," Elphaba said distantly.

"How was it seeing her last night?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba froze, her face flushing.

"Um, actually… I haven't seen her yet," she replied.

"She didn't sleep in the room last night?"

Elphaba's face grew warmer. _"I_ didn't," she admitted. "I ended up staying in Fiyero's suite last night."

Nessa's eyes widened. _"Oh."_

Elphaba sighed, avoiding her sister's eyes. "I couldn't stomach the idea of going back to the room," she said. "So, Yero let me stay. He gave me the bed and slept on the couch."

Nessa smiled. "That was very sweet of him."

Elphaba nodded, still averting her gaze. "Yeah. It was."

"You know you'll have to see her sooner or later, right?" Nessa said gently.

Elphaba chuckled hollowly. "Yeah."

It was late that night when Elphaba finally saw Pinar again. Pinar entered the room as Elphaba was getting into bed.

Both girls paused for a moment, staring at one another in silence, before Elphaba resolutely climbed into bed, turned off the lamp and rolled over onto her side, facing the wall. Pinar said nothing, simply crossed the room in the darkness to her side of the room.

Wednesday afternoon found Elphaba slumped over her desk at the _Gazette_ office in misery. She was in theory working on an article for the next issue, but in actuality she was staring into space. The loss of her novel was like a giant hole gnawing at her gut, and it hadn't been helped when she'd woken up that morning with the last scene she'd been working on so vivid in her mind as though it had played on a film reel while she'd slept.

She'd cried in the shower that morning, knowing that a week ago, she would have skipped breakfast with Nessa to scribble down her thoughts before they slipped away. She'd gone so far as to pull the empty chest out from under the bed before she'd realised what she doing and stopped herself.

Comfort had come in surprising forms, though. Rais had offered to write an "enraged editorial" at the fact Pinar would escape punishment for what she had done, just because the event didn't happen on campus- even if the theft itself had. A few students had approached Elphaba, most of them for the first time ever, to tell her that they had enjoyed what Pinar had read to them.

"Surprisingly good," had been the feedback from most people.

Boq had started bringing her hot chocolate and a muffin every time he came to the _Gazette_ office, and Dr Farley had even sought her out to offer commiserations.

"You're a talented writer, Miss Elphaba," he told her. "I'm sorry you lost your work, but I do hope you try again. I'd like to read it."

Elphaba had thanked him politely.

And then there was Fiyero. He had raged about Pinar's lack of punishment, against Morrible not allowing Elphaba to change rooms, and had told off several people (that Elphaba knew about) who were still laughing about what had happened.

The campus rumour mill confirmed the same story that Pinar had given Morrible. That she had "tripped" and "accidentally" dropped the notebook into the fire. Somehow the question of how she had gotten possession of Elphaba's notebook in the first place never entered the equation.

Students who had been at the bonfire and witnessed it seemed to be divided between those who knew what they saw; and those who disliked Elphaba enough to believe Pinar, even if it wasn't probably true. Students who hadn't been at the bonfire took Pinar's story at face value, supported by Pinar and her friends, who kept saying how dreadfully sorry Pinar was. The rumours also said that Pinar had apologised "a million times" to Elphaba for the accident.

"That's the most unbelievable part of the whole story," Elphaba had fumed to Fiyero when she'd heard it.

Elphaba, for her part, still hadn't talked to Pinar since Saturday night.

"Is there a spell?" Nessa had asked her, hating seeing her sister so upset.

"To re-create something from a pile of ash? Shockingly, no," Elphaba replied.

Although that hadn't stopped her from half-heartedly flicking through a few spell books in the library in case there was a magical solution. There was not.

A knock jerked Elphaba from her self-pity party, and she jumped a little. Galinda was standing by her desk, holding a bag and beaming at her.

"Hi!"

"Hi," Elphaba replied, a little unnerved. She wasn't used to Galinda speaking to her so cheerfully.

"I have something for you."

Elphaba took off her glasses slowly. "What is it?"

Galinda handed her the bag, which Elphaba took somewhat warily.

"It feels like… a book. You got me a book?"

Galinda tilted her head critically, looking at Elphaba with a thoughtful frown.

"You look much prettier without your glasses, you know. Why do you wear them?"

"To see words on the page," Elphaba said dryly. "Which is a rather helpful thing, if you can imagine that."

Galinda waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. Look inside!"

Elphaba sighed and obeyed, gasping as she pulled out a rather familiar notebook. She gaped between it and Galinda speechlessly.

It was the second notebook that contained her outline and notes for the novel, the one that had been likewise taken by Pinar. In the initial shock of the bonfire, Elphaba hadn't even thought about it. When it had occurred to her that it was missing, Elphaba had only assumed it too had been lost.

"I- I don't understand," Elphaba said faintly. "Where- where _was_ this? How did _you_ get it?"

Galinda shrugged. "One of Pinar's friends had it," she explained. "I saw her with it on Saturday night, but _that_ wasn't… ruined. After we spoke on Sunday, I wondered what had happened to it. So, I talked to a few people."

Elphaba was rather overcome. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Galinda beamed. "You're welcome. I told you, I liked the story, remember? So, now you can re-write it!"

Elphaba faltered. "I really appreciate you finding this, Galinda. But I'm not going to re-write it. I can't."

Galinda stared at her in bewilderment. "Why not?"

"Because what I had was…special," Elphaba said, her grip on the notebook tightening. "I wrote it over three and a half years of my life, and I can't just recreate that."

Galinda frowned, but finally nodded. "I see your point," she said thoughtfully. "It's like this one time, I got stuck in the rain but then when my hair dried, I had the most _perfect_ ringlets. Do you _think_ I've been able to recreate them since then? No."

Elphaba stared at her for a moment. "Then you know what I'm going through," she deadpanned.

Boq arrived at that moment.

"Hi, Elphaba. They didn't have chocolate chip muffins today, but I got you blueberry," he said, and promptly almost dropped it as he saw Galinda standing there, his power of speech immediately failing him.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, you know Boq, don't you?"

Galinda barely glanced at Boq. "Oh, sure. Of course I know Bick."

" _Boq,"_ Elphaba corrected her. "He's my friend."

Galinda glanced at Boq again, actually looking at him this time. For the first time, Elphaba suspected.

"You were at the bonfire, weren't you?" she asked him.

Boq managed to nod, slowly handing Elphaba the hot chocolate and muffin.

Galinda glimpsed the time and gasped. "Oh, I didn't realise it was so late! I have to go find Dr Elnur. What's a good excuse for skipping Sociology?" she asked Elphaba.

Elphaba stared at her blankly. The only class she hadn't attended since starting at Shiz had been her Contract Law class on Monday afternoon, because she hadn't been able to bear the idea of any more people staring at her and whispering. Not when she knew it wasn't about her skin, but about what had happened at the bonfire. Suffering through one hour of Philosophy had been more than enough. Even then, she'd simply told Dr Mustard that she hadn't felt well and he hadn't questioned it.

"Um, you felt sick?" she guessed.

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "That may be hard to explain when she saw me before class at that shoe sale..." she said thoughtfully. "Thanks anyway, bye!"

Elphaba stared after her as she disappeared. "You know, I think I almost preferred it when she was making fun of me," she said, breaking off a piece of muffin and popping it into her mouth.

Elphaba was more grateful than she could say that Galinda had saved her notes on the novel, but a little bemused by the blonde's sudden change in attitude towards her. The only way she could describe Galinda's behaviour was… "friendly" and she wasn't quite sure whether or not to trust it.

"Did you say something to her?" she asked Fiyero the following night.

He'd met her after her writing class, and they'd gone into town to the pub to get her some dinner. Nessa had been invited too but had begged off with a cold. Elphaba hadn't enjoyed her class this week, her heart just wasn't into it. And here the looks and whispers had all been ones of pity from her classmates- if anyone knew how she was feeling having her work destroyed, it was a class of fellow writers.

It had started snowing lightly while she was in class and it gave the streets a peaceful atmosphere at this time of night. As they headed back to school after eating, her spirits had been revived somewhat, either because of the snow or the company.

"I barely _know_ Galinda," Fiyero replied. "We went to _one_ party together when I first arrived. We say hi when we pass each other in the halls. That's it."

Elphaba snorted. "I doubt that's how Galinda would describe it," she said, tightening her scarf around her neck.

"She was _furious_ at me for quoting you as 'single' in that article, and she flirts shamelessly whenever you make eye contact. Granted, with more class than some of the girls I've seen, who basically do all but strip before you to try and get your attention, but still."

Fiyero grinned at her sideways.

"What?" Elphaba demanded.

"You notice when girls flirt with me, huh?" he asked, his blue eyes twinkling.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and stared ahead, even as her face flushed. "They're not exactly subtle, Fiyero. A blind, deaf and dumb person could notice."

Fiyero chuckled.

"I hope you also notice," he said quietly, surprising Elphaba as he captured her gloved hand in his and gently drew her to a stop as they passed under a streetlamp.

"That I don't flirt back."

Elphaba's throat went dry.

"Unless you're trying to sweet talk them into something," she said hoarsely.

Fiyero grinned. "I have a very charming personality," he said modestly.

Elphaba snorted.

Fiyero reached for her other hand too. "Fae…"

"Fiyero," Elphaba said, her voice coming out barely above a whisper.

They were both wearing gloves, but she could still feel the heat coming between their hands.

"I think you're amazing, you know that?"

Elphaba blushed.

"You are. I've never met anyone like you before," he said earnestly, taking a step closer to her.

Elphaba's heart was pounding in her chest, going a million miles an hour.

"Well, that'd be the gr-"

He placed a finger on her lips, cupping her cheek with his palm.

"Don't do that," he said softly, his eyes dark.

Elphaba could see his breath rising as steam between them, but she couldn't see her own. Was she even breathing?

He was close, so very close.

Her eyes closed involuntarily as Fiyero lowered his head and gently kissed her.

"Fae," Fiyero murmured, when they broke apart. His gloved hand gently wiped away snowflakes that had landed in her hair beneath her hat.

"Do you want- I mean, would you…" he cleared his throat, his own voice sounding rather croakier than usual. His other hand rested on her waist, and Elphaba could feel his fingers tapping restlessly against her side through her coat.

"Elphaba, I…"

Elphaba's lips curved into a faint smile, which Fiyero took as an encouraging sign.

He took a deep breath. "Would you go out with me tomorrow night?" he asked her nervously. "On a date," he added, in case that wasn't clear.

Elphaba hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed him tentatively, brushing her lips against his.

Fiyero slid his arms around her waist, drawing her close as Elphaba's arms rested on his shoulders.

"Is that a yes?" he asked her when she pulled away.

Elphaba nodded. "Ok," she said quietly.

Fiyero looked ridiculously pleased with himself. "Ok," he said.

He walked her back to the front door of Crage Hall.

"So, I'll pick you up at seven o'clock tomorrow night?" he asked her. "We can get some dinner?"

"Ok," Elphaba agreed, unable to think of anything else to say.

Fiyero kissed her cheek gently and bid her goodnight. Elphaba turned and hurried inside, but instead of heading upstairs, went down the hall to Nessa's room. She knocked frantically on the door, fidgeting impatiently as she waited for the door to open.

Eventually the door opened, and Xia looked rather surprised to see her.

"Miss Elphaba."

"Is Nessa here?" Elphaba demanded.

Xia ushered her inside, and Elphaba found her sister, combing her wet hair before the mirror.

"Hi Faba-"

"He kissed me."

Nessa's eyes widened, her comb falling to her lap.

" _What?"_ she gasped, wheeling her chair around to face her. " _Who_ kissed you?!"

"Fiyero," Elphaba replied, her voice shaking a little. "He kissed me."

She collapsed heavily onto the end of Nessa's bed, feeling rather breathless. Xia ushered her coat off of her, and draped it over a chair.

Nessa clasped her hands over her mouth, smiling broadly. "Oh my _Oz,"_ she said excitedly.

"How was it?"

Elphaba stared at her sister and faltered. "I- I mean, it's not like I have anything to compare it to," she said.

"But," she continued, her cheeks warming again as she recalled the kiss. "It was nice."

A smile spread over Nessa's face. "Nice?"

Elphaba's blush deepened. "Shut up," she said, pulling off her hat, gloves and scarf.

"Did you _want_ him to kiss you?" Nessa asked eagerly. "What happens now?"

Elphaba fidgeted a little, staring at her lap and avoiding her sister's gaze.

"I hadn't really thought about it before," she said honestly. "But… oh, Nessie. I don't know. He asked me out for tomorrow night, and I said yes."

Nessa giggled. "I thought 'Fiyero Tiggular isn't the kind of boy you date'?" she quoted her sister.

"Well, he's not the kind of boy _you_ date," Elphaba corrected her. "I don't know," she said again.

"Why? Don't you like him?"

"No, I do. But that's the thing."

Elphaba self consciously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I think he's my best friend," she confessed to Nessa. "And I like him a lot. And the kiss was… really nice," she said, a wistful note in her tone.

"What if we date and ruin our friendship?"

Nessa bit her lip and turned to Xia.

"Xia, what do you think?"

Xia didn't look up from her knitting. "I think I expected this conversation weeks ago."

Elphaba gaped at her. _"What?!"_

"Given Fiyero's reputation, I wouldn't have thought he'd be so slow at asking you out."

"You expected this _weeks_ ago?" Elphaba repeated. "Since when?"

"Since about that article came out," Xia replied, finally looking up.

Nessa turned back to her sister. "When Fiyero turned up at the bonfire, he was really worried about you," she said quietly. "I mean, I was too of course. Especially after you passed out. But Yero was so sweet, taking care of you when we got back to his suite."

Xia smiled at the flabbergasted expression on Elphaba's face. "Go out with him, Miss Elphaba. It's one date. What would your parents say?"

Elphaba and Nessa made a face immediately picturing their father's reaction.

"What would your mother say?" Xia amended.

The girls exchanged a glance.

"Ima would tell you to go," Nessa pointed out.

Elphaba nodded. "She would," she agreed.

Then she stood up and collected her things. "No one tells Papa until we're home," she warned them. "I don't need him interrogating Fiyero until I know if there's anything to interrogate him about."

Nessa smiled, reaching for a tissue to blow her nose. "And if there is?"

"Then I'll get Anna to tell him," Elphaba said and bid them goodnight.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN. What I mostly took from your reviews for last chapter is that if I was in the room with you while you read, I would have needed earplugs from all the squealing, haha.**

 **And we are over 200 reviews! Which is incredible. Shout out to Ash for being reviewer 200 :)**

 **Chapter 13**

Elphaba awoke the next morning feeling incredibly nauseous. She had no idea what happened in History that morning, she couldn't concentrate on a single word Dr Dillamond said. Nessa found it rather amusing.

"I wish Anna was here," Elphaba said miserably, once they'd left class. "I have no idea what to wear, or what to do. Fiyero's dated a lot, I don't want to screw this up."

Nessa wrinkled her nose. "I don't know if I'd call what Fiyero does 'dating'," she said. "From what I hear," she added quickly. "All your clothes are lovely, Fabala. And I'm sure Ima would tell you, that all you need to do is relax and be yourself."

"That's not helpful," Elphaba grumbled.

Nessa smiled. "I could ask my friends for help?" she suggested. "Or Xia?"

Elphaba figured asking Xia was better than nothing, given her limited options. She and Nessa agreed to meet in her room at six to help her decide what to wear. She had no idea where Fiyero was taking her, which wasn't exactly helpful to the process.

The first time she saw Fiyero the next day was at lunch, as he slid into the seat next to her as she sat with Nessarose.

"Morning," he greeted them cheerfully.

"Afternoon," Nessa corrected him.

"Meh," Fiyero shrugged, stealing some fries from Elphaba's plate and flashing her a grin.

"Hi."

Elphaba blushed. "Hi," she replied faintly.

Nessa bit her lip as she looked between them, trying to hide a smile.

"I'm going to go," she announced. "I've got some studying to do. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Ness," Fiyero said.

He was under no illusion that Nessarose didn't know what had happened between him and Elphaba. If he hadn't missed the stifled smile, the knowing glance she shot him before she wheeled away told him everything.

"So, I made a reservation for tonight," Fiyero told her quietly. "At _The Peacock._ Is that ok?"

Elphaba nodded. "Sure. Yeah, that's fine," she said and then internally winced at the lame response.

Fiyero just smiled. "Alright," he said. "I'll see you tonight then."

He leaned towards her slightly and Elphaba's breath caught slightly. Fiyero grabbed another few fries from her plate and got to his feet. As he passed her, his fingers brushed her arm and goosebumps sprung up from his touch.

Elphaba looked up at him and he winked, before disappearing as quickly as he'd come, leaving her alone at the table.

Just before six o'clock that evening, Elphaba grabbed armfuls of clothes from her closet and headed downstairs towards Nessa's room.

"Are you moving?"

Elphaba stopped and turned to see Galinda behind her on the stairs. "Oh, hi."

"Hi."

"I'm just going down to see my sister," Elphaba explained. "She's going to help me decide what to wear, and she can't get up the stairs."

Galinda's face lit up. "Fashion advice?" she asked eagerly.

Elphaba paused. "Um, I suppose. In a way."

"I can help!" Galinda offered.

Elphaba was rendered speechless as Galinda followed her down the stairs and into Nessa's room.

"Galinda? What are you doing here?" Nessa said in surprise.

"Helping," Galinda replied absently, already sorting through the clothes Elphaba had laid out on Nessa's bed.

Nessa looked to Elphaba in confusion, who simply shrugged helplessly.

"So, where are you going? What's the event?" Galinda asked.

Elphaba hesitated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have a date," she said shortly.

Galinda stilled and looked up from the dresses she was examining.

"With Fiyero?"

Elphaba didn't know what else to say but the truth. "Yes."

Galinda studied her for a moment and then turned back to the clothes.

"Where's he taking you?"

" _The Peacock_."

Galinda nodded approvingly. "Good choice. It's intimate, but not overly romantic. The Bible says it's important on a first date to create a comfortable atmosphere, where you can make the night special but not add too much pressure. _'The first date is giving cubic zirconia instead of diamonds. All the glitter and none of the commitment,'"_ she quoted.

Elphaba and Nessa stared at her blankly.

"The Bible?" Xia questioned.

" _Like a Moth to a Flame._ The dating guide? I'll lend you my copy," she reassured Elphaba. "What time is he picking you up?"

"Seven."

Galinda's face was a picture of horror. "Less than an _hour_ from now?! And you're only _just_ deciding on wardrobe? Sweet Oz, I have _so_ much to teach you," she muttered.

Elphaba blanched. "Er, Galinda-"

"Here. Try this on," Galinda cut her off, handing her a dress.

Elphaba turned to Nessa and Xia, both of whom looked back at her helplessly.

"You can use the bathroom," Nessa told her.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

When she exited the bathroom after changing, Galinda was still studying her clothes.

"You know, you have nice clothes," she said, almost sounding surprised. "Not terribly trendy, but stylish. Your colour palette is limited though."

"My skin is limited," Elphaba retorted shortly.

"Elphaba worked as a dressmaker before we came to Shiz," Nessa volunteered.

"So… it's true?" Galinda demanded of Elphaba. "You _did_ make that dress Nessa wore to the _OzDust_ last year?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Yeah. It was a birthday present for her."

Galinda snatched another dress from the bed. "And this? Did you make this? Because it almost _looks_ like a Lella Bloome from about two years ago, but I know it's not."

"It's not," Elphaba agreed. "It's simpler, but similar. But yes, I did make it."

Galinda threw it at her. "Put it on."

Elphaba sighed but obeyed.

When she emerged in the ice grey knit dress, Galinda nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. What shoes do you have? Coats?"

Galinda took control from there, making Elphaba follow her up and down the stairs until she had a complete outfit that she, Nessarose and Xia agreed was perfect.

"You look beautiful, Fabala," Nessa beamed at her when Elphaba presented herself for a final inspection.

Elphaba shifted on the spot, nervously pushing her hair back behind her ears.

"Thanks," she said.

"I want to hear all about it," Nessa said as Elphaba prepared to leave her sister's room to await Fiyero's arrival. "And I would tell Fiyero what you told me last night."

"Ness-"

"I would. And I bet Ima would tell you the same thing if she knew."

That did sound like something Annalie would say.

"I'll tell him," Elphaba promised. "What exactly do you want to know?"

Nessa rolled her eyes. "We'll discuss that tomorrow. Just _go_ and have fun."

Elphaba hugged her lightly and thanked Xia for her help.

"Where's your roommate?" Galinda asked as she helped Elphaba return the rest of her outfits to her closet.

"Who cares?" Elphaba retorted.

She shrugged. "She avoids me, I avoid her. I think she's waiting for me to exact revenge on her. Not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind," she admitted. "Unfortunately, my parents raised me better than that."

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't sound like a pleasant living arrangement."

"Nothing about this room has been pleasant since September."

Galinda looked over to Pinar's empty side looking thoughtful.

"Has she said why she did it?" she asked in a hushed tone, although why Elphaba didn't know.

Elphaba looked over her shoulder as she rummaged through her bag to make sure she had everything.

"No. And I'm not going to ask."

"Why?"

"It's not going to change anything. I can't get my book back, and Pinar's still going to be a massive bitch who cares about nothing but herself."

Galinda made a sound as though choking back a laugh.

Elphaba kicked the closet door shut and turned to Galinda, brushing her hair back from her face once more.

"Thank you for your help, Galinda," she said sincerely. "It was… not as painful as I'd imagined."

Galinda smiled. "I know what you mean."

She headed to the door. "Enjoy your date. I'm going to lend you that book," she said, and then left.

Elphaba wrinkled her nose as the door shut behind her.

"Yeah, I'm not reading that," she muttered.

She pulled on her coat, scarf and gloves and sat down to wait.

Fiyero knocked on the door a few minutes after seven o'clock, and Elphaba swung it open almost immediately, her stomach a knot of nerves.

"Hi," she greeted him.

He grinned broadly. "Hi. You ready?"

She nodded. "Ready."

"You look great," he told her.

"Thank you," Elphaba replied. "I, uh, I actually had help."

"Oh yeah? Nessa?"

"A little. But Galinda, actually."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Galinda _Upland?"_

Elphaba laughed. "I know. She ran into me on the stairs and kind of took over."

"And you both survived?"

"There was a tense moment when she pulled glitter lip gloss from her purse," Elphaba acknowledged, which made Fiyero laugh. "But I made her see reason."

The most makeup Elphaba ever wore was a little mascara and lipstick, and only on _very_ special occasions. Galinda had argued that surely your first date counted as just that, but Elphaba and Nessa had worn her down.

"So, you hungry?"

Elphaba was too nervous to eat, but she nodded anyway. "Sure."

They walked into town, making small talk as they headed to _The Peacock._ Elphaba hadn't eaten there before, but Galinda and Xia had both said the food was good.

They were led to a tiny table in the middle of the room, attracting glances from the other diners as they passed. Elphaba felt rather exposed, sure that everyone was staring at them and speculating. _The Peacock_ was well known as a popular date location among Shiz students, those who were looking for something more intimate than _The OzDust_ and more formal than _The Wilted Rose_ or the pub. There could be little misconception that this was a date.

Elphaba nervously smoothed down her dress and glanced around the room as Fiyero said something to the waiter quietly, who nodded in agreement. He pointed to somewhere and Fiyero nodded, clasping him on the shoulder.

"This way please," the waiter said to them and walked away from the table.

Elphaba looked to Fiyero in bewilderment, but he simply took her hand and followed after the waiter.

He led them to another table, this one in a back corner, placed the menus on the table and left them without another word.

"I hate that 'goldfish in a bowl' feeling," Fiyero explained to Elphaba, pulling out her chair for her.

"I get it all the time, and I bet you do too. I'm nervous enough without needing an audience."

Elphaba cocked her head in surprise as he sat opposite her. "Really? You're nervous?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "Aren't you?"

"Yes," Elphaba conceded. "But… I've never thought of you as being the kind of person who gets nervous."

"Only when it's something important," Fiyero said quietly, meeting her gaze with a faint smile.

Elphaba lowered her eyes to her menu, her cheeks feeling warm.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked, after they'd ordered.

"Sure."

Elphaba decided to take her sister's advice. "This may sound weird," she began, staring determinedly at the bread basket rather than Fiyero.

"We haven't really known each other that long. But I think that you might be my best friend. Not that I have many options to choose from. I know you probably think it's a joke, because you made me that sign, but it's true. And I'm new to this whole… dating thing. For obvious reasons. And I'd hate to lose you as a friend if this doesn't work. This is-"

"Fae," Fiyero interrupted gently, reaching across the table and placing his hand atop hers as she fidgeted with her cutlery. "Look at me. Please?"

Elphaba reluctantly lifted her eyes.

"Exhale," he said, his eyes twinkling slightly.

Elphaba obeyed. It came out rather shakier than she'd expected or would have liked.

Fiyero readjusted his grip so that their fingers entwined, green against tan.

"You're my best friend too."

Elphaba's eyebrows shot up. "I am?"

"Don't tell Palo I said so, but yeah. I wrote it down, didn't I?"

"Oh well, if you wrote it down," Elphaba said, a little more sarcastically than intended.

Fiyero laughed. "You're certainly my most mature friend," he grinned faintly.

Elphaba wasn't surprised by that at all.

"There's nothing to stress about, okay?" he told her. "It's just a date. Let's just… see what happens and go from there. I don't want to mess up what we have either," he admitted.

Elphaba's shoulders eased. "Ok," she agreed.

The conversation flowed more easily as they ate, as they both relaxed.

"Do I get to know where the 'Fae' comes from now?" she asked him, taking a sip of wine.

Fiyero grinned. "Probably," he agreed.

"Do you remember when we were talking about the whole idea of fate vs luck?"

"Sure," Elphaba nodded, wincing faintly as her mind flashed back to her book.

"A few days later, I remembered something. A story that my grandfather told me as a kid."

He smiled. "I know you're an atheist, but bear with me, ok?"

"Ok," Elphaba agreed slowly, wondering where this was going.

"One of Lurline's fairies is in charge of Fate. Her name's Kader," he told her. "So the thing is, that fate does exist, but really only in the fairy world. But because humans aren't in the know, when fate… unravels, I guess is the right word, we interpret it as luck, either working for or against us, depending on what we want to happen.

Like, if I buy a lottery ticket and Fate says I'm meant to win, I see that as good luck. If I'm not meant to win, I'll see it as bad luck that I didn't win. Does that make sense?"

Elphaba nodded. "Fate in the fairy world, luck in the human world. Sure. How does that relate to 'Fae'?"

"According to Lurlinism scripture… folklore, whatever you want to call it. There's windows. Brief windows throughout time, where the fairy world and our world get blurred a little. And if a baby is born in those windows, they're special in some way. Like they have some special knowledge. Fairy knowledge. And those babies were called 'faes', or 'young fairies'."

Elphaba frowned thoughtfully. "But… you have no idea when I was born. You definishly didn't know back then," she pointed out.

"No," Fiyero agreed. "But it didn't take me long before I knew you were special," he said quietly.

Elphaba blushed.

"I don't know if being critical of the concept of luck and fate count as special knowledge," she said, a little embarrassed.

Fiyero shrugged. "My brain works in mysterious ways," he grinned at her.

Elphaba chuckled. "Well, _that_ much I know," she teased him.

He took another bite of his dinner and then frowned at her. "When _were_ you born?"

She laughed. "April twenty-fifth. Somewhere around eleven o'clock at night, I think. You?"

"December eighth. I have no idea what time, you'd have to ask my mom."

Fiyero insisted on walking her back to her room at the end of the night. As they approached Crage Hall, Elphaba stopped walking and turned to Fiyero.

"Why me?"

He glanced at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… why me?" Elphaba repeated. "I'm not fishing for compliments, but I don't understand why I'm different from any other girl you've dated before."

Fiyero turned to her, resting his hands on her waist as he considered his words.

"Because from the moment we met, you were in my head," he told her. "I didn't know why, I still don't know why, but my mind kept circling back to you and those notes I'd found. After we did that interview, you were _all_ I thought about."

His voice dropped, and he drew her closer.

"The night before the interview came out, I was thinking about it all. And I had the sudden thought… I wondered whether it was fate or luck that had brought me to you."

Elphaba's stomach fluttered.

"So, I decided to be your friend, to get to know you more," he continued. "Best decision of my life, quite frankly. Then the night of the bonfire, I barely slept because I knew that you were _right_ there, in my bed. You were so upset, and I felt horrendible, but I couldn't help it. And I knew that I wanted to be so much more than your friend."

Elphaba didn't know what to say.

"Well," she said finally, clearing her throat. "Just for the record, I did notice when girls flirt with you," she admitted, tentatively placing her hands on his upper arms. "And I did notice that you didn't flirt back. Which I did find odd, but I just thought you had better taste than I'd figured you for."

Fiyero chuckled. "It never crossed your mind that I might be flirting with _you_ instead?"

"No," Elphaba replied honestly.

Fiyero's face softened. "Fae."

She shrugged. "It's just fact, Yero."

He frowned slightly but said nothing.

"You know this'll be all over campus by lunch tomorrow, if not sooner. I don't know if I can trust Galinda yet. She might have blabbed the moment she left my room tonight."

"Gossip _does_ spread fast here," Fiyero agreed. "But I'm not worried."

"People are going to talk," she warned him.

"I don't care."

Elphaba was beginning to think that she didn't care either.

"By the way," Fiyero said quietly, drawing her to him as they paused outside her room. "I know you don't believe in fate, and you're a little wary on the idea of luck."

Elphaba smiled. "I'm wary, but open to the idea," she agreed.

Fiyero grinned. "But either way," he continued, cupping her face in his hands gently. "I think it was fate. That led me to you."

Elphaba may not have believed in fate, but the sincerity in his eyes was more than enough to make Elphaba melt, and she leaned up to meet his lips eagerly. She decided to save the debates about the existence of fate for another moment.

Fiyero was unable to keep himself from lingering on the kiss, sliding his hands through her long hair. He kissed the corner of her mouth lightly, then her cheek and then her temple.

"Are you _smelling_ me?" Elphaba asked, pulling away in bewilderment as she heard him inhale near the shell of her ear.

Fiyero shrugged, looking only faintly sheepish. "My pillow smelled like you," he explained. "After you stayed. It was driving me crazy, trying to figure out what it was."

Elphaba blushed again, recalling his own scent she'd found so comforting as she'd slept in his bed.

"It's probably my shampoo," she muttered. "Green apple, mint and honey."

"Right," he murmured, running his fingers through the silky tendrils and then dipping his head to kiss her once more.

Elphaba didn't fight it, winding her arms slowly around his neck, but after a few moments she reluctantly pulled away.

"I should go," she said faintly.

He looked rather as dazed as she felt.

"Right," he replied vaguely. "I'll see you for lunch tomorrow?"

Elphaba nodded as she stepped back. "Sure."

Fiyero unwillingly bid her goodnight and then left as Elphaba let herself into her room. She shut the door behind her and sagged against the door, slowly letting out a breath. She was trembling a little, but it felt rather like the trembling that came from too much caffeine. Thankfully the room was empty, so she didn't have to explain to Pinar why she seemed unable to stop herself from smiling.

Elphaba had the best sleep she'd had in a week that night, and when she awoke the next morning, she felt refreshed and rather cheerful. She even spared Pinar a "morning" on her way across the room to the bathroom, and the look on her roommate's face was priceless.

Neither Fiyero nor Nessa would be up yet, she knew, and she was resigned to having breakfast alone in the dining room. Not that she minded, she wasn't really a morning person. As she picked at a piece of toast, she was having a mental debate with herself.

Elphaba's gut reaction was to write home to Annalie and tell her about last night. But she didn't think this was the kind of news you told in a letter, she reasoned. And what news was there actually to say? She'd gone on a date, and it had been… more wonderful than she'd expected. But what if she wrote home, and then in a week or two, she and Fiyero decided that they were better off as friends?

Elphaba was jerked from her thoughts as a tray was placed opposite her, and she jumped before she recognised Galinda sitting opposite her.

"Morning," the blonde greeted her, arranging her tray of fruit salad and yoghurt before her.

"Good morning," Elphaba replied, looking around the dining hall warily.

She didn't think she'd ever seen Galinda up this early and Galinda certainly had never sat with her before.

"How was last night?" Galinda asked casually, as though this was no big deal.

"It was… fine, thank you."

Galinda made a face. " _Fine?"_

"Galinda, what are you doing?" Elphaba demanded. "You realise you're sitting with me, right?"

Galinda giggled. "Of course I do."

Elphaba put down her toast. "Ok, let me rephrase. _Why_ are you sitting with me?"

Galinda looked mystified. "What do you mean? Didn't I apologise to you?"

Elphaba thought back to her conversations with Galinda over the past week.

"You apologised for what Pinar did…" she said slowly. "You acknowledged that you've been a bitch to me for no reason."

"Yes," Galinda nodded, wincing a little. "I was."

"What's changed?" Elphaba demanded.

"Well, Fiyero's your friend-"

"You're talking to me to get closer to Fiyero?" Elphaba asked, stiffening.

Galinda looked both horrified and insulted. "What? No! Oz, Elphie. I helped you dress for a _date_ with him last night, remember?"

Elphaba blinked at the 'Elphie' but chose to ignore that.

"And I'm supposed to just trust you? That you had no ulterior motives?" Elphaba retorted.

Galinda winced again. "I can see your point," she said slowly.

"And I suppose you'd _never_ use anyone or manipulate them so that you can get what you want?" Elphaba challenged.

Galinda's cheeks flushed pink.

"When Fiyero started hanging out with you, I wondered what he saw in you," she admitted. "You're not exactly the kind of person he's known for being friends with."

"So, you decided to talk to me and find out why Fiyero bothered to talk to me when virtually no one else did?" Elphaba guessed.

"Something like that," Galinda conceded. "Milla's always saying how good your writing is, and your articles for the _Gazette_ always get people talking… I can admit when I'm wrong," she said, lifting her chin.

"Didn't you read my column the other week?"

Elphaba rarely read Galinda's column. When she did, it was usually because Nessa or Boq were reading it and showed her.

"I must have missed that one," Elphaba lied.

"It was all about being willing to change your judgement of people," Galinda explained. "Anyway, I was wrong to be so horrendible to you."

"You're hardly the first," Elphaba muttered, pulling apart the crusts of her toast.

"Anyway, I thought of a way I could make amends," Galinda told her brightly, carefully picking pieces of cantaloupe from her fruit salad and laying them aside. "A fresh start, you know?"

"Oh?" Elphaba asked, wary again.

"You want to change rooms, don't you? So you don't have to live with Pinar anymore?"

"Morrible said there's no rooms-"

"I have a private suite," Galinda reminded her, cutting her off. "It's _very_ spacious. It would easily fit two people."

Elphaba pushed away her plate. "And you'd be willing to room with _me?"_

"Yes."

Elphaba's brow furrowed uncertainly.

"A lot of people think what Pinar did was awful," Galinda told her. "I've heard them talk about it. If you had seen your face when you saw it happen… well, I suppose you don't need me to tell you," she added hastily.

"Anyway, I'm _very_ popular," she reassured Elphaba. "If you roomed with me, I think it would really convince people that what Pinar did is not excusable and that you have people on your side, you know?"

Elphaba wasn't sure what to say.

"Just think about it," Galinda said. "The offer is there. If you want to come up and see the room, that's fine. See you later."

And then she picked up her tray, with her barely touched breakfast and walked away, leaving a stunned Elphaba sitting there alone.

 **AN. Yeah, I changed up the "Fae" thing. Felt like a change.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"You're not honestly considering this, are you?"

Elphaba laid back on Nessa's bed next to her sister and stared up at the ceiling with a frown. "Can rooming with Galinda be any worse than rooming with Pinar? Really?"

Nessarose considered that thoughtfully, looking a little worried.

"It's just… Galinda hasn't exactly been friendly until lately, has she? Didn't you say it was only since Fiyero arrived that she's been talking to you?"

"Yes."

"And it's Galinda. She'd drive you mad."

"Yes," Elphaba agreed. "But, on the positive side, I don't think she'd destroy my personal belongings, which _is_ an improvement," she added thoughtfully.

Nessa sighed. "Fabala, I know rooming with Pinar is terrible, but I'd hate for you to go from one bad roommate to another."

"I don't want that either," Elphaba replied, turning her head to look at her sister. "That's why I came to talk to you. To see what you thought."

"I hardly know Galinda better than you do," Nessa pointed out.

"Yes, but you're a much more forgiving person than I am."

Nessa rolled her eyes.

"I suppose whatever you do, it'll only be for another few months," she said slowly. "You can ask Papa to get you a private room for next year, can't you? And I don't think you and Galinda have much in common, but I think you're right that she wouldn't do anything as terrible as what Pinar did. Xia, what do you think?"

"I don't know Miss Galinda very well," Xia said, from where she was folding laundry. "But I do think you're right that it can't get much worse than your current roommate situation."

Elphaba chewed the inside of her cheek. "Hmm, yeah. I don't know."

"Well, you don't have to decide right now," Nessa advised her. "Now, tell me about your date!"

Elphaba chuckled, sitting up on the bed and tucking her knees under her. That's what Nessa had been dying to know about since Elphaba had knocked on her door with breakfast, but Elphaba had distracted her with the news of Galinda's offer before anything else.

"It was a good night," she said, fiddling with her dress. "We talked."

" _And?"_ Nessa asked impatiently.

"And we're just going to see what happens. No pressure. This is new for both of us," Elphaba replied.

"But you _are_ going to go out again? You're going to date?" Nessa prodded.

"I mean, we don't really have any official plans yet, but yes. I imagine that's the plan."

Nessa's face fell. "He didn't ask you out again?"

"We said we'd meet up for lunch today," Elphaba shrugged. "Nessie, we see each other on a daily basis. I'm not worried about making plans."

"Did he kiss you again, at least?"

Elphaba blushed, which gave Nessa all the answer she needed.

"And how was it?"

Elphaba averted her gaze and mumbled something Nessa didn't quite catch, which made her giggle. She'd never seen her sister like this before and she found it rather sweet.

Elphaba passed the morning catching up with her sister, until she left to meet Fiyero for lunch. She told him about Galinda's offer, although she was a little surprised by how readily he encouraged her to take it up.

"I know Galinda is a little…"

"Overly perky?"

"A little shallow, I was going to say," Fiyero grinned. "But it was nice of her to offer, right? I mean, she didn't have to do that. She may surprise you."

"We have nothing in common."

Fiyero shrugged. "When we met, did you think _we_ had anything in common? And look how that turned out."

Elphaba smiled as he took her hand over the table. "I'm not going to end up dating Galinda."

"Bummer," Fiyero grinned and she rolled her eyes.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "I know rooming with Pinar is awful. And I hate seeing you miserable."

Elphaba blushed. "I'm not so miserable today," she said quietly, lowering her eyes.

She didn't have to look at Fiyero to know he was beaming at her.

They had rather expected the news of their date to be all over campus within days, but there was nothing. Although people did seem to be shooting glances in their direction more than usual.

"From what Nessa tells me," she told Fiyero quietly on Tuesday after he'd commented on the subject. "Some people saw us at _The Peacock,_ but aren't sure whether or not it was a date. And will you stop that? That is really not helpful."

Fiyero sighed heavily and put down the chain of paperclips he was making, dumping them onto her desk. Elphaba had stopped by the _Gazette_ office after her morning class to get some work done before her next class, and Fiyero had turned up not long after. And he was proving to be quite the distraction.

He was leaning against her desk, watching as Elphaba jotted down questions she wanted to research for her next article. She and Rais had agreed she'd do a study of Shiz students' stress levels, and she wanted to compare it to similar articles done in years previous, which meant toiling through the _Gazette_ archives once again. Not that she minded, which Rais thought was crazy.

"I can't believe you work _on_ the paper and no one's tried to get the scoop on our relationship," Fiyero complained.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "What scoop? We've had one date. Or maybe, you're just not as interesting as you think you are," she teased him.

Fiyero reached out and snagged her around the waist, drawing her to him as she tried to pass him.

"Well, we should fix that. What are you doing tonight?"

Elphaba laughed. "That wasn't me hinting. I was just making the point that I don't know if there's much of a scoop."

He shrugged. "I know. But still. What are you doing tonight?"

She smiled softly. "I don't have any firm plans. What did you have in mind?"

"Dinner? At the pub?"

"Sure," Elphaba agreed. "Do you want to meet there?"

Fiyero nodded. "Sure. Six?"

"Hmm. Six thirty?"

He nodded. "Done. Hey, Boq."

Elphaba turned her head to see Boq approaching, looking rather stressed.

"Hey," she greeted him.

"Hi. Is Rais here?" Boq asked her.

Elphaba shook her head and checked her watch. "No, but he should be here soon. Why?"

Boq dug a sheet of paper out of his bag. "I meant to drop off my article this morning, but I overslept and I've got my macroeconomics class in ten minutes, and-"

Elphaba held out a hand for the paper. "I'll give it to him when he gets here," she cut him off. "I'll be here until one."

Boq handed it over gratefully. "Thanks, Elphaba. If I'd known you were going to be here-"

Elphaba waved him off, knowing where he was going with this. "Boq, I appreciate it, but honestly- you can stop bringing me muffins. I'm doing ok," she reassured him.

"I wouldn't say no to a muffin," Fiyero chimed in.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and turned back to Fiyero. "Aren't _you_ in Boq's macroeconomics class?" she asked him, tilting her head.

"Yes," Fiyero agreed.

"The one that starts in ten minutes? Is that something you're planning on attending?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Well, now you took away my paperclip chain, I guess I have nothing else better to do."

Elphaba smirked at him. "You say that, but I think you actually enjoy Economics," she said quietly.

Fiyero grinned, leaning forward and kissing her sweetly. "Don't blow my cover," he murmured, and she rolled her eyes.

"Make up your mind if this so-called image matters or not, will you?"

Fiyero just kissed her again and pushed himself off the desk, grabbing Boq's arm as he passed the Munchkin, who looked as stunned as Elphaba had ever seen him without Galinda being in a three-foot radius.

"I'll see you here at six," he told her.

"We said we'd meet there at six-thirty!" Elphaba called after him, ignoring the stares they were attracting from everyone else in the newsroom at that moment.

Fiyero turned back with a grin but kept walking.

"Like it's not going to take me half an hour to pry you out of here," he replied, laughing slightly.

Elphaba shook her head and turned back to her desk.

"So, you _are_ dating Elphaba?" she heard Boq ask, as they walked away. "I thought that was just a rumour."

By the time she got to her Criminal Law class at one o'clock, everyone seemed to know that Elphaba Thropp and Fiyero Tiggular were dating. Although no-one said anything to her, there were definishly more stares and whispers aimed in her direction- which was saying something. It was almost with relief that she returned to the dusty archives after class. Not even Rais went into the archives unless he absolutely had to, so no one was there to stare or ask questions.

Fiyero, however, had not been so lucky and looked fairly disgruntled when he arrived at the _Gazette_ office at six. Elphaba was just packing up her things when he arrived.

"What's wrong?"

"I hate people," he grumbled.

Elphaba nodded knowingly. "People think you're crazy for dating me?" she guessed.

His face darkened. "Have people said that to you?" he demanded.

She scoffed and pulled on her coat. "Not to my face. But I wouldn't be surprised. There's a reason you were my first friend, let alone boyf- date," she corrected herself, flushing.

She grabbed her bag and scarf, avoiding his gaze.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"I could eat," Fiyero said quietly, reaching for her hand as they headed to the door.

Over dinner, Fiyero brought up spring vacation, which was coming up in a few weeks. Elphaba and Nessa would be returning to Munchkinland for the week off, mostly because it was Tomaz's tenth birthday. Fiyero was planning on spending his break in the Emerald City, catching up with some friends from his previous school.

"What do you in the Emerald City for a week?" Elphaba asked him.

"I thought you've been to the City before?"

"I have," Elphaba agreed. "Many times. But I can't imagine you going to museums or theatres and tourist sites like I do."

Fiyero grinned. "That is true," he allowed. "Yet somehow we manage to amuse ourselves."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm sure," she said dryly.

Neither mentioned Elphaba's slip of the tongue earlier, which Elphaba was mostly grateful for. There was a small part that spent the meal wondering if she'd messed up. Fiyero wasn't acting any different from what she could tell, except maybe a little distracted at times.

When he'd walked her back to her room and kissed her goodnight, Elphaba hesitated before entering the room, wrestling with herself. Chewing the inside of her cheek thoughtfully, Elphaba let out a sigh and headed upstairs to the next floor. She hadn't been up here before- she'd had no reason to- but the door with the pink sign on it could only belong to one person.

Galinda opened the door swiftly once Elphaba had forced herself to knock. "Oh, hi Elphie!"

Elphaba winced slightly. She'd honestly begun to convince herself she'd misheard that particular nickname the other day.

"Hi."

"Come on in," Galinda invited her.

Elphaba tentatively stepped inside, looking around.

Galinda's room was more than twice the size of the room she shared with Pinar, although not as large as Fiyero's suite. This one didn't have the kitchen, but there were three doors that Elphaba could see. The shelves on both sides of the room were filled with shoes. Galinda's bed was in the centre of the room, but a desk and vanity were the only other items of furniture in the room. All were decorated in various shades of pink.

"Did you want to see the room?" Galinda offered.

Elphaba looked around. "There's more than this?"

Galinda pointed to one of the doors. "That's the bathroom. The other two are closets- that one would be yours," she said, pointing to the one on the right-hand wall.

"Of course, those shelves would be yours, and your bed would go there and the desk there," she pointed out.

Elphaba was surprised. "You've really thought this out."

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Elphie, I wouldn't have made the offer if I hadn't made sure that all your things would fit."

Elphaba stared at her for a moment. "Have you _seen_ the size of a normal room here?" she demanded. "Oz, you could have _two_ roommates if you wanted to. And what is with the _Elphie?"_

"It's a nickname," Galinda replied as though it were obvious.

Elphaba rubbed her temples, which had suddenly begun to ache. "Right. Um, I actually came to ask you a question. A dating question," she added, a little apprehensively.

Galinda's face brightened immediately. "Oh, _sure!_ Here, sit down."

She offered Elphaba her desk chair and seated herself on the end of her bed.

"I don't really have anyone else here I can ask," Elphaba began awkwardly. "Nessa doesn't date any more than I do, and well…"

Galinda just looked at her expectantly.

Elphaba sighed and recounted what had happened before dinner.

"We agreed we're taking things slow, and technically, this was only our second date. I think almost calling him my boyfriend _may_ be a little too fast. Is it going to scare him off?"

Galinda looked thoughtful. "Who said you were dating? You or him?"

Elphaba's brow furrowed. "Um… I guess he was the one to say we'll take things slow."

Galinda nodded. She got up and went over to her desk, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a well-worn book.

 _Like a Moth to a Flame,_ the title read and Elphaba suppressed a grimace.

Galinda dug further through her desk drawer and pulled out a notebook- pink, of course. She settled back on her bed and flicked through it, while Elphaba watched in confusion. She asked a few questions, but Elphaba had no idea what to make of them and Galinda provided no answers, just nodded and checked something in the book.

"Most of Fiyero's relationship don't last longer than three weeks," Galinda finally said. "Two months is his longest, I think. But that was _years_ ago. How was he after? Was he acting strange?"

Elphaba shook her head. "Not really. He was a little quieter than usual, but that's it. But he didn't say anything about it."

"Did you?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No. I was too busy mentally kicking myself," she admitted.

Galinda smiled softly. "You really like him, don't you?"

Elphaba flushed. "I don't want to screw this up," was all she said.

Galinda's gaze turned sympathetic. "I don't think you've screwed it up, Elphie," she reassured her.

"Normally, the Bible would say that it was too soon. Unless you've had the conversation to define the relationship."

"Define the relationship?"

"Label it," Galinda explained. "Where is this going? Is it long-term? Are you exclusive? That kind of thing. But I don't think Fiyero's one to follow typical behaviour," Galinda frowned, studying the book once more.

"Then how do you know I haven't screwed it up?"

"Because it doesn't seem like he's followed any of his typical behaviour since he _met_ you. Why would he start now?" Galinda asked practically.

Oddly, that made Elphaba feel a little better.

"Right. Thanks," she said uncertainly.

She stood up and made for the door but turned back before she reached it.

"Did you _really_ mean it? Asking me to be your roommate?"

Galinda stared at her blankly, returning the book to her desk.

"Yes."

Elphaba nodded thoughtfully. "Ok."

Galinda waved her hand around the room. "I _clearly_ have the space, Elphie. Is that a yes?"

Elphaba hesitated only briefly. "Sure. Thank you."

Galinda smiled brightly. "You're welcome. I'll see Morrible in the morning and get her to arrange the extra furniture."

Elphaba nodded. "Ok."

Galinda frowned, her gaze drifting past Elphaba to the closet that would be hers.

"I suppose I'm going to have to move things out of that closet. Will you need the _whole_ thing, do you think?"

Elphaba stared at her blankly and Galinda waved her hand at her dismissively. "Never mind, I'll work it out."

Elphaba was pretty sure she was going to regret this decision. "Right. Well, thanks again. Goodnight," she said, and let herself out.

Elphaba was more than a little apprehensive when she first met up with Fiyero the following day in light of the night before, but he seemed completely normal. He also seemed rather pleased when she told him she had accepted Galinda's offer.

"I mean, it'll only be for the rest of semester, right?" she reasoned.

"Exactly," he agreed. "And I'm sure once we get closer to finals, you'll be spending most of your time in the library no matter where you're rooming, right?"

"Probably," she admitted.

"So, when do you swap? Before spring vacation?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I guess so. I suppose it depends on Morrible."

She sighed a little. "There's a lot of pink," she told him. "And Galinda's apparently calling me ' _Elphie'_ now," she added, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

Fiyero couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face. "And you're not a fan?"

"It's very… perky," Elphaba said, struggling to describe how she felt about the moniker. "I don't know if it _fits_ me especially well, but if I can't stop you from calling me Fae, I doubt I can stop her from calling me Elphie."

Fiyero scoffed. "You say that like you don't secretly like me calling you Fae."

Elphaba couldn't deny that.

It wasn't until a week later that Morrible finally had the promised furniture arranged in Galinda's suite, so the girls arranged that Elphaba would move across her belongings that weekend. Fiyero volunteered to help, and somehow promised Boq's help too, although Elphaba couldn't work out how _that_ had happened.

It seemed Boq couldn't work it out either. Although, funnily enough, the Munchkin boy didn't protest too much once he found out exactly where he would be moving Elphaba's things to.

Elphaba, still ignoring Pinar, hadn't bothered to inform her roommate she would be changing rooms, until she started packing up her things on the Friday night.

"Where are _you_ going?" Pinar sneered when she saw the suitcases on Elphaba's bed, sounding rather suspicious.

"Moving rooms," Elphaba replied brusquely, not even sparing her a glance.

There was a long pause.

"Don't take any of _my_ stuff," Pinar said coolly, grabbed her bag and left to meet her friends at _The OzDust._

Elphaba rolled her eyes as the door shut behind her. "Yes, because touching your things would be an invasion of your privacy, right?" she muttered.

She had wondered if she might feel a little sense of sadness the next morning. After all, regardless of Pinar's presence, this had been her closest thing to home since last September. But when she awoke, all she felt was relief to be limiting her exposure to Pinar. And a little apprehension about whether rooming with Galinda would be a better or worse experience.

For once, she didn't bother to try and keep the noise down to not wake Pinar- who had returned to the room somewhere around two am. Her soon to be former roommate was not at all thrillified to be roused, although it was half past eight and not exactly early, even for a weekend. She treated Elphaba to a furious rant about inconsiderate people, only pausing as she dressed in the bathroom. Then she stormed out of the room, passing Fiyero and Boq on her way out the door.

"I'm really going to miss her," Elphaba said sarcastically.

"Is she like that all the time?" Boq asked, wide-eyed, having heard the tail end of her tirade.

"When I'm around she is."

"I don't know why you're surprised, Boq. You were _there_ at the bonfire," Fiyero reminded him.

He clapped his hands, rubbing them together as he looked to Elphaba. "Ok, what needs to go?"

Elphaba pointed to the suitcases of clothes she'd packed the night before. "Clothes are done. It's mostly just my books that I still need to pack. A few things in the bathroom and my desk."

Fiyero nodded. "Ok. Is Galinda up? I'd hate to disturb her beauty sleep. She doesn't strike me as much of a morning person," he said dryly.

Elphaba chuckled. "I'll go up and see. If _you're_ up at this hour, I imagine she should be."

Galinda _was_ up, and remarkably cheerier than Elphaba had expected.

"Morning!"

"Morning. Fiyero and Boq are going to help me bring up my things if that's ok."

Galinda nodded. "Sure. I'll be here, and I'll leave the door open."

Elphaba hadn't expected the move to take very long, but it appeared she'd underestimated the number of books she'd accumulated since arriving at Shiz. Once her suitcases had been moved upstairs, Fiyero lounged on her bed watching Elphaba pack books into a box.

Boq had volunteered to go on a coffee run- conveniently the moment Galinda had mentioned that she was feeling a little tired. Elphaba hadn't argued with his suggestion, mostly because she wouldn't say no to a coffee either. Boq had also agreed to look in on Nessa for her, and keep her sister updated with the progress.

"Maybe we should all go to dinner tonight?" Fiyero suggested.

"All?" Elphaba questioned.

"Yeah. You, me, Nessa and Boq. Er, Xia? Galinda, if she wants. It might help you and Galinda bond a bit."

Elphaba considered that for a moment. "It's not a bad idea," she admitted. "Where would we go?"

"The pub?" Fiyero proposed. He grinned mischievously. "I would pay good money to see Galinda at the pub. Do you think she even knows it exists?"

Elphaba laughed slightly. "I've never seen her there. I don't think it's her typical scene."

That was exactly Fiyero's thinking. "So, that's a yes? Or do you have study to do? You've got a writing assignment due next week, right?"

Elphaba nodded, pulling more books from her shelves. "I do, but dinner's fine. I'm not having much luck with the assignment," she sighed.

Fiyero frowned as she handed him a pile of books to be packed. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I just can't seem to get much writing done lately. I keep getting stuck, or I _do_ write something, but it's terrible. I'm thinking of dropping the class," she admitted.

Fiyero's jaw dropped slightly. "What? Why?" he demanded.

"Because what's the point of doing a writing class if you can't write?" Elphaba replied practically. "I'm just… not enjoying it much lately."

Fiyero's face softened. "Fae, it's only been a few weeks since the bonfire," he reminded her. "It's understandable that you're still upset about losing your book. But I don't think not writing is the answer here. For one thing, you're far too talented."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Yero, you've read _one_ short story I've written in the two months that I've known you."

"And who's fault is that?" Fiyero challenged her.

When she stared at him exasperatedly, he grinned.

"I'm kidding. Although I do think you shouldn't drop the class, especially when we're already halfway through the semester. I bet Nessa will agree with me."

Elphaba chuckled, shaking her head slightly as she packed up the books he was holding. "I never thought _you'd_ be advocating not dropping classes."

"I'm advocating _you_ not dropping classes," Fiyero corrected her. "I'm all in favour of _me_ dropping classes."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "I'm just not at all motivated to write," she sighed. "It's not that I don't _want_ to write, but I just can't find the mental energy. I'm not inspired."

"You don't have any trouble writing essays or for the paper though," Fiyero pointed out.

"That's different. I don't know how to explain it, but it is," Elphaba said quietly, her shoulders drooping as she sighed.

Fiyero handed her more books silently, his eyes searching her face carefully.

"I think it would be a waste," he said finally. "But I want you to be happy. And if you need to take a break from writing, maybe you should do it. Just promise me you'll really think about it before you make any decisions?" he asked her. "What have your parents said?"

Elphaba grimaced slightly. "I haven't told them anything that's happened since the bonfire," she admitted, moving back to the shelves for more books. "It all seems like it should be an in-person conversation. I'll tell them when I go home next week."

Fiyero nodded slowly. "So… you haven't told them about me?"

Elphaba turned from the shelves to look at him over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I wasn't sure what exactly to tell them," she said carefully. "They know we're friends. But the last few weeks…"

She pushed the box of books back towards the wall so that she could seat herself on the bed next to him, turning to face him.

"What should I tell them?" she asked him, tucking her legs up underneath her.

Fiyero looked to her in surprise. "You can tell them whatever you want, Fae."

"It's only been two weeks," she reminded him. "This is new to me, and apparently, your average relationship is three weeks. We agreed to just see what happens. I don't know what exactly that means for things like this," she admitted.

"I mean, what have you told your parents about me?"

Fiyero took her hand. "They know we're… not exactly just friends. I've told them that you're beautiful, brilliant, and a wonderful writer," he said. "Although they already knew that from the article."

Elphaba figured 'not exactly just friends' was the best way to describe them at this point.

"My average relationship is three weeks?" he asked her.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "According to Galinda," she explained.

Fiyero nodded knowingly, looking a little thoughtful.

She reached into her bookbag which lay on the bed, and from in between her Law textbook and her Philosophy book, pulled out a folder.

"This is everything I've written for a writing class since being at Shiz," she told him, a little nervously. "If you wanted to read-"

"Yes!" Fiyero cut her off enthusiastically.

Elphaba chuckled faintly as he reached for the folder without hesitation. But she didn't let go once it was in his hand. If anything, her grip tightened.

"Elphaba?" Fiyero asked, raising one eyebrow at her slightly.

Elphaba hesitated. "You don't need to tell me that you liked it if you don't," she told him. "I can take criticism. You don't need to read them just to be polite, because taste is subjective, and I know you're not a huge reader, and-"

"Fae," Fiyero interrupted her gently, easing it from her grip. "It'll be fine," he promised her.

Elphaba swallowed nervously.

"I know you only let people you trust read your stuff," he told her. "I know it's a big deal for you. And I promise I'll keep these safe."

She smiled weakly and he kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll go put this in my room, so it can't get lost, and then I'll come back for the books," Fiyero said and got to his feet.

Elphaba nodded but called him back as he got to the door.

"Yero?"

He turned back and Elphaba met his gaze solemnly. "I do, you know. Trust you."

Fiyero's face softened and he came back over to her, bending down to kiss her, sliding his free hand into her hair. Elphaba slipped her arms around his neck to pull him closer, and he deepened the kiss, kissing her more fiercely than he'd dared to before now. Elphaba lifted herself up onto her knees and leaned into the kiss, a sound escaping her lips she'd never made before. She distantly heard a flutter of paper falling to the ground as he dropped the folder to the ground, his arms settling tight around her waist.

"Well, this is lovely," a voice said and they broke apart to see Galinda and Boq standing in the doorway with a tray of coffee cups.

"This isn't what I'm going to be living with now, is it?" she asked.

Elphaba flushed and Fiyero grinned unapologetically. He pressed another kiss to Elphaba's mouth and then grabbed the folder from the ground where it had dropped.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he said to Elphaba, grabbing a coffee from the tray in Boq's hands as he passed.

Galinda smirked at Elphaba as she stepped into the room.

"I told you that you didn't screw it up," she muttered and Elphaba's face grew warmer.

 **AN. Letting someone close to you read your writing is always nerve-wracking.** **And now Galinda and Elphaba are roommates. We'll see how well this goes!**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN. 250 reviews!**

 **Thank you to everyone who takes the time to review (in every language!) and tell me what you liked about the chapter. It helps me enormously as a writer, and I appreciate you all.**

 **Shout out to Millie, who was reviewer 250.**

 **Chapter 15**

"Hello?" Elphaba called out, leading the way into the foyer of Colwen Grounds. "We're home!"

"Ima?" Nessa called out. "Are you here?"

"She could be at the library," Elphaba said, peering in the direction of Frex's study. The door was closed, which told her nothing.

"Nikita? Anyone home?"

They heard footsteps approaching and then Annalie entered the foyer, beaming.

"Hi! Oh, I'm so glad you're home!" she exclaimed excitedly, hugging them both tightly. "How was the trip?"

"It was fine," Elphaba replied.

Nessa nodded tiredly. "It was, but we had such an early start. Where's Papa and Tomaz?"

Annalie gently smoothed back Nessa's hair. "Tom's at a friend's house for the day. And your father got called out to Rush Margins this morning. They've had some flooding this week and he wanted to see the damage. He was so sorry he wouldn't be here when you got home, but he'll be back tomorrow. Now, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? Nikita made blueberry muffins."

Nessa shook her head. "I think I'd like to rest for a while. I got such a dreadful headache the last hour of the trip."

Annalie squeezed her shoulder lightly. "Oh, sweetie. Of course, you go ahead. Fabala?"

"I want to unpack first and then I might have one," Elphaba agreed.

Annalie nodded and while Elphaba headed upstairs, she and Nessa followed Xia down the hall to Nessa's room.

"Do you need something for your headache?" Annalie fussed. "I wanted to hear all about your semester so far. I feel like we've hardly heard from you _or_ your sister since Lurlinemas."

Nessa smiled. "It's been so busy, but I do have so much to tell you. I'll tell you everything after I've rested," she promised her.

"Besides," she added with a smile. "I think you're going to want to talk to Fabala first. Her news is much more interesting than mine."

Annalie raised an eyebrow in interest. "Oh?"

Nessa chuckled and nodded.

Annalie kissed the top of her head and left Nessa in Xia's capable hands.

Elphaba was unpacking her suitcase when Annalie tapped on the door a few minutes later, bearing a tray of hot chocolate and muffins.

"Hi."

Elphaba glanced over her shoulder and smiled warmly. "Hi, Anna."

Annalie placed the tray on Elphaba's desk and sat down on the window seat. "So, I want to hear all about school this semester. We've hardly heard from you."

Elphaba's gaze was fixed on her suitcase as she unpacked.

"Well, there hasn't been a lot to tell… for the most part," she muttered, placing the last of her clothes in her dresser, and tossing the few dirty clothes she'd brought home into the hamper.

Annalie nodded knowingly. "Right. And the other part?"

Elphaba sighed, slowly turning to face her stepmother and sitting on the end of the bed.

"It wasn't really stuff I felt I could put in a letter," she said heavily.

Annalie's face darkened concernedly. "Why? What's happened?"

"You know Pinar?"

Annalie rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. Is she not behaving any better?"

Elphaba shook her head, a lump rising in her throat. "Not exactly."

Annalie frowned, moving to the bed and handing Elphaba one of the mugs of cocoa.

"The night of the Valentine's Day fair, Pinar went through my things and stole my book," Elphaba said with difficulty. "She took it to the bonfire and was reading it out to her friends."

She placed the mug on her nightstand, as her vision began to blur with tears.

"Boq came and found me. He realised whatever was happening, it wasn't good. And when I confronted Pinar and demanded she give it back, she tossed it into the bonfire."

Annalie gasped, her hands flying over her mouth. " _No!"_

Elphaba nodded, her eyes stinging. "Yeah. So… it's gone. I lost it."

Annalie wrapped Elphaba into her arms and hugged her tightly, and Elphaba allowed herself to shed a few tears on her stepmother's shoulder.

"I am so sorry, sweetie," Annalie sighed sadly. "You've put so much work into it. I'm just so sorry. Was Pinar punished?"

Elphaba shook her head, and poured out her heart to Annalie, telling her everything about what Pinar had been like since Lurlinemas and the reaction around campus to what she had done, including Galinda's invitation to change rooms. Annalie was furious that Pinar hadn't been punished.

"I'm going to write to Madame Morrible," she vowed.

Elphaba sniffled. "Anna, it was a month ago. I don't think Morrible's going to do anything now if she didn't then."

"But it's not right," Annalie insisted. "How can someone do something so horrendible and not be punished?"

Elphaba wiped a stray tear away. "I know."

Annalie hugged her again. "I wish you'd told us, Fabala."

Elphaba choked out a laugh. "Why, so you and Papa could come storming up to Shiz to try and fix things?"

Annalie chuckled faintly. "I may have been tempted to come up and have words with Pinar," she admitted. "But I'm just sorry you didn't have anyone with you."

"That's not true," Elphaba protested. "I had Nessa and Xia."

She blushed faintly, knowing where the conversation was about to turn.

"And Yero's been wonderful too," she said softly, staring at her hands.

Annalie immediately perked up. "Oh, he _has_ , has he?"

Elphaba's blush deepened.

To tell the truth, when Elphaba had first written home that the Vinkun prince had come to Shiz and he had decided that they were friends, Frex had been worried.

"You _know_ his reputation," Frex had fretted to his wife. "He's been through _how_ many schools? A different girl on his arm every other day. He takes nothing seriously! Is this the kind of boy we want being friends with the girls?"

"Frex, the girls are adults," Annalie had said, skimming Elphaba's letter once more. "They're far beyond the point where you can police who they're friends with."

They were sitting in his study, Annalie curled up in the armchair as Frex paced the room restlessly.

"And I do know his reputation, and it is worrying," she admitted. "But who's to say how truthful it is? Don't you trust your daughters?"

"Of course, I trust them!" Frex exclaimed. "But Nessa trusts too easily, and Elphaba… what? Anna, why are you smiling?"

Annalie had then read him the interview Elphaba had done with Fiyero.

"Maybe his reputation isn't accurate," she said. "Or maybe Elphaba sees something in him that others don't. I think we should wait until we hear more about him from the girls."

Frex had reluctantly agreed, and so they had waited, rather impatiently.

But the letters from both girls had not been as frequent as the previous semester, especially in the last few weeks. Annalie had wondered if something was happening between Elphaba and Fiyero, but she hadn't mentioned these thoughts to her husband. Frex still wasn't ready to face the possibility of his daughters dating.

Well, it seemed unavoidable now, Annalie thought as she watched Elphaba's face carefully.

"We- that is, Fiyero and I… it's new," Elphaba finally blurted out.

Annalie tried to hide a smile. "How new?"

"Three weeks," Elphaba replied, reaching for her cocoa.

"And?" Annalie pressed gently.

"We've only been out a few times," Elphaba said, averting her gaze. "We're just seeing what happens. I don't know how much there is to tell. But, Ima, he's…"

"Wonderful?" Annalie guessed with a soft smile.

Elphaba's face coloured even more. "He's surprisingly sweet," she said. "And supportive, and- what? What's with that face?"

Annalie shook her head, smiling softly. There was a light in Elphaba's eyes she had never seen before.

"I know Fiyero has this certain reputation," Elphaba continued uncertainly. "But-"

"Sweetheart, your father and I are not going to judge him before we meet him," Annalie interrupted.

Elphaba looked at her sceptically.

"Well, _I'm_ not going to judge him before I meet him," Annalie amended with a laugh. "But you know your father means well. We _are_ going to meet him at some point, yes?"

Elphaba looked a little stricken at the thought. "Anna, _three weeks,"_ she reminded her. "We've only had a few dates. I don't think meeting the parents really counts as taking things slow."

They chatted a little more, and then Elphaba decided to have a shower.

"One more thing," she said, as Annalie prepared to leave the room. "Will you tell Papa? About Fiyero?"

Annalie laughed. "This isn't something you'd like to share with him over your weekly lunch?"

Elphaba winced. "Not really, no."

Despite Frex's absence, the girls had a very pleasant first night home. Tomaz told them everything that had happened since Lurlinemas that he deemed important or interesting, and although he had no interest in his sister's lives, he _was_ intrigued by what Fiyero was like.

"I didn't think you were cool enough to be friends with a _prince,"_ he told Elphaba, who tossed half a breadstick at him across the table.

"Be nice," she warned him. "Or I'll return your birthday present."

Tomaz resumed shovelling carrots into his mouth, smiling at Elphaba innocently.

Annalie merely rolled her eyes at her son's antics and turned to Elphaba.

"So, how has it been rooming with Galinda?"

"So far ok," Elphaba had to admit. "She spends more time in the bathroom than Pinar does, and everything is pink, which can be very nauseating in the early hours of the morning; but so far we're… co-existing peacefully, I guess."

Of course, it had only been a week, but Elphaba still found it an encouraging sign.

Frex returned home just after breakfast the next morning, although Annalie, Tomaz and Xia were the only ones awake.

"We were up late last night," Annalie explained to him, greeting him at the front door with a kiss. "There was a lot to talk about."

"So much happened in two months that they couldn't write home?" Frex asked dryly, going into his study.

"Yes," Annalie replied honestly, following him in and sitting down on the couch.

Frex went to sit down at his desk, and then saw the rather grave look on her face.

"What? What happened?" he asked, freezing on the spot.

"You should sit down, sweetheart," Annalie told him.

Frex warily eased himself into his desk chair.

"Elphaba's roommate destroyed her book," Annalie said as gently as possible.

Elphaba hadn't said anything about asking Annalie to tell her father _this_ particular piece of news, but Annalie thought it was best that it came from her. It might spare Elphaba the pain of having to retell it again.

Frex stared at her blankly. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Destroyed it how?"

"Stole it from her things, spread it around campus and then threw it on a bonfire," Annalie replied grimly.

Frex's face paled. " _What?!"_

Annalie told him all that she knew, and she didn't think she'd ever seen Frex so furious. He ranted for a good five minutes against Morrible, the school and Pinar. He suggested everything from complaining to the school board to suing either the school or Pinar's family, and Annalie suddenly realised why Elphaba had not told them about this in a letter.

"Frex-"

" _This_ is _exactly_ why I wanted her to have a private room!" he said furiously, pacing the room. "How could someone do something like that? And why would the school not _do_ anything about it, for Oz's sake?!"

"Frex, darling. Think of Elphaba," Annalie reminded him gently.

Frex wiped a hand over his face, sitting down beside her. "How is she?"

"Upset," Annalie said honestly. "I think there's more she hasn't told me yet, but she's hurting. Although I think some good has come from this."

Frex looked at her in bewilderment. "Good? What good?"

"She's got a new roommate. Galinda Upland."

Frex frowned. "Galinda Upland? I thought she-"

"I know," Annalie chuckled. "She's extended an olive branch."

Frex looked bewildered at the very thought. "I will never understand young girls," he said finally.

Annalie only laughed.

"I know, darling," she said sympathetically. "You got lucky with the girls."

Frex sighed.

"I wish she'd told us."

"I know, but I understand why she didn't," Annalie said. She smiled ruefully. "I have quite a few words for Madame Morrible and Pinar myself."

She placed her hand on his knee comfortingly. "I have one more bit of news."

"Bad news?" Frex asked suspiciously.

Annalie stifled a smile. "Well, that depends on your opinion."

Frex raised an eyebrow.

"Elphaba's dating Fiyero Tiggular," Annalie said gently.

Frex paled once more.

"It's new, and she's not making a big deal out of it," Annalie added quickly. "But she seems happy, Frex."

"She's _dating_ him?" Frex demanded. "Since when?"

"Only a few weeks."

Frex looked so perturbed Annalie had to laugh. "It's not quite the crisis you seem to think it is, sweetheart."

"Is it serious?" Frex questioned.

Annalie shrugged. "They're in college, they're young. I don't think they know yet."

Frex didn't find that reassuring in the least.

There was a gentle knock on the door and Frex turned with a sigh.

"Come in."

The door opened and Elphaba stuck her head in the door.

"Morning."

Frex smiled instantly. "Good morning, sweetheart. Come in," he repeated, beckoning her inside.

Elphaba still looked rather tired, Annalie thought critically. But she came into the study and hugged Frex warmly.

"Hi, Papa," she said, sitting down in an armchair across from them. "How was Rush Margins?"

"Not too bad," Frex allowed. "There's been no casualties as of yet. But there's a big storm forecast to arrive in the next few days. I fear there'll be a lot more damage across Munchkinland when it hits."

He looked at her sadly. "Anna told me about your book. I'm sorry, darling."

Elphaba smiled dejectedly, playing with the tie of her robe and averting her gaze. "Thanks, Papa."

"Why ever would she do such a thing?" Frex demanded.

"I haven't asked her," Elphaba answered. "She's not going to have an answer that's good enough. Or one that can bring back my book, can she?"

Annalie smiled at Elphaba. "Your father wants to sue Pinar. Or the school."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow at Frex. " _Papa."_

"If the school isn't punishing her, she should pay in _some_ way for what she did to you," Frex insisted.

"They won't punish her for destroying it, because it happened off campus," Elphaba explained glumly. "All they could punish her for is _taking_ the book, and-"

"So, why didn't they?"

"Because her family has money," Elphaba sighed tiredly.

Frex frowned. "Well, I'm going to write to Madame Morrible." he vowed. "It's not good enough. I want answers. And while we're on the subject of answers-"

Annalie squeezed his knee warningly before he started asking Elphaba about Fiyero. She turned to Elphaba. "What plans did you have for the week?" she asked her.

Elphaba shrugged. "I've got some school work to do. I'd like to see Ottah and the kids at some point, and there's Tom's birthday. That's about it."

The lack of plans turned out to be a good thing, as the promised storm rolled in three days later. For two days, it poured rain, causing flash flooding across the province. Fierce winds blew trees down, power was knocked out and the weather was utterly miserable. Elphaba's arm ached more than she could ever remember it hurting since she'd actually broken it.

After the second day the storm kept rolling west across Oz, yet the rain, wind and cold lingered. The _Munchkinland Post_ reported that it was the biggest storm to hit Oz in two hundred and fifty years.

Because of the weather, Frex and Elphaba couldn't do their weekly lunch in town; instead, Frex made some sandwiches and carried them upstairs to where Elphaba was studying. Or supposedly studying. In actuality, she was sitting at her window and staring out at the rain, debating whether or not it would be ridiculous to write to Fiyero.

It felt distinctly odd not to see him every day, she was finding. But even if she _did_ write to him, they'd be back at school before the letter reached him. Yet she kept making mental notes of things to tell him when she saw him, things she thought he'd find funny or interesting. A lot of stories involving Tomaz. Elphaba was reasonably sure that Fiyero would get along with her little brother very well, and that thought caused a warm sensation in her chest. She wasn't sure what that meant.

She startled slightly when Frex knocked on her open door, blinking and rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Fabala? Are you busy, darling?"

Elphaba shook her head with a smile. "No, not really. Why?"

"I wanted to talk," Frex said, handing her a plate. "You've been quiet this week."

"Have I?" Elphaba asked, puzzled. She hadn't noticed anything different.

She coloured a little, wondering if perhaps she'd been more distracted by thoughts of Fiyero than she'd thought. She was dreading having to explain that to her father.

Frex sat on the end of her bed, and frowned in concern. "Is everything alright at school? Apart from this business with Pinar?"

Elphaba faltered, slowly turning to face him. "I love working on the paper," she told him. "I've got friends and… oddly, I don't think I'm going to hate rooming with Galinda," she admitted.

"I mean, I never want to see the colour pink again and it's only been a week, but she isn't as awful as she was last semester."

"And your classes?"

Elphaba paused. "I'm thinking about dropping my writing class."

Frex hid his surprise remarkably well.

"I'm just not enjoying it anymore," she continued.

"The class or writing?" Frex asked her.

Elphaba shrugged. "Both?"

As they ate, she told him about how hard it been to write since losing the book. About how Galinda just suggested she rewrite the novel, and how lost she felt without it. Frex had no idea what to tell her. Ultimately however, he promised that he and Annalie would support whatever decision she made.

"And, uh, this… Fiyero boy?" Frex asked her.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. _"Papa._ We're friends."

"That's not what Annalie says," Frex said darkly.

Elphaba sighed exasperatedly. "Papa, there's more to Fiyero than you think," she told him. "I know his reputation isn't exactly stellar, but a lot of it is a façade."

Then she smiled slightly. "I promise, if you ever meet him, you'll like him."

Frex's eyes narrowed. "We'll see," he said doubtfully.

Elphaba chuckled.

That night Frex recounted to Annalie his conversation with Elphaba as he got ready for bed.

"I understand she's upset about losing the book, and she has every right to be," he frowned. "But she's taking it harder than I expected. To not be writing at all?"

Annalie was sitting on the bed wrapping the last of Tomaz's birthday presents for the next day.

"It's only been a few weeks," she told him, adding more tape. "And I think it's understandable. She spent years on it, and she never got to finish it. It's a loss, and I think she has to mourn it like anything else. And she's still writing for the paper," she pointed out.

"I think in time, she'll either start again, or she'll get inspired to write something new."

Frex sighed. "I never really thought I'd worry about Elphaba more than Nessie."

"I don't think you need to worry about either of them," Annalie said patiently.

She finished wrapping the gift and let out a sigh of relief. "Done. Oz, I hate wrapping gifts. Especially when Tom's just going to rip it off in two seconds flat," she complained.

Frex surveyed the amount of tape on the gifts and smiled. "I think it will take longer than two seconds to get through all that tape, dear."

Annalie chuckled. "Well, _you_ can wrap the gifts next year," she told him.

Over the years, different traditions had developed for each child's birthday. But Frex making waffles for breakfast was always a staple. Not even the dismal weather could dampen Tomaz's excitement the next morning, and although he was beginning to protest that he was too big for such things, he allowed his mother and sisters to dote on him.

"Happy birthday, Tomaz," Elphaba said, handing him a present with a tight hug.

"Happy birthday!" Nessa echoed, beaming as she also handed him a gift.

"Thanks," Tomaz said. "Ima, can I open these now?" he asked Annalie.

Annalie appeared in the doorway to the living room from the dining room. "Papa's almost got the waffles ready," she told him. "Why don't you wait until after?"

"Can I have ten waffles? One for each year?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "And what are the rest of us supposed to eat?" she demanded of him. "You eat ten waffles, you'll explode."

"Come on, let's go sit down at the table," Nessa laughed.

The tenth birthday in the Thropp household was a milestone, usually commemorated with a special trip. Elphaba had been taken to the theatre, Nessarose the ballet. But Tomaz had no interest in those things, and had the weather permitted, would have preferred going to a football game or something.

But he was happy enough to settle for having some of his friends come over to stay the night, and his favourite dinner. And gifts, naturally.

"I almost wish we didn't have to go back to school," Nessa commented wistfully after dinner.

Frex smiled at her. "It's only another few months, darling. And then you'll be home for the summer. But we do miss you both. Don't we, Tom?"

Tomaz merely shrugged, glancing over as he and his friends set up a board game. "Meh, I guess. Even when she's home, Fabala's in her room all the time. I barely even notice she's not here."

Elphaba shook her head as she rolled her eyes. 'Thanks, Tomaz. I miss you too."

"I'm going to go out tomorrow," Frex told them. "See some of the damage caused by the storm."

Elphaba turned to her father in interest. "Could I come with you, Papa?"

Frex looked slightly amused. "Tired of being cooped inside the house?"

Elphaba chuckled. "A little," she admitted. "But no, I want to write about it when I get back to school. For the _Gazette._ Besides, maybe I can help somehow. _"_

Frex agreed, and that was how Elphaba finished out her spring vacation. Slowly, reports began to trickle in from other provinces of the damage caused by the storm. There had been trees destroyed, some buildings damaged and a few losses of crops and livestock. Thankfully however, there were only minor injuries.

Frex was inclined to escort the girls and Xia back to Shiz himself, fearful of what condition the Yellow Brick Road would be in, but Elphaba and Annalie persuaded him otherwise.

"I might have some business in the Emerald City late next month," Frex told Elphaba as they were preparing to depart for Shiz.

"Anna and I thought we might drop into Shiz either on the way there or the way back. To see you girls, perhaps have dinner."

Elphaba smiled and kissed his cheek. "That would be great, Papa. I'm sure Nessa and I can make time for you," she chuckled. "Would you bring Tom?"

"We'll see," Frex allowed. "Your brother does not cope well on long carriage rides."

Elphaba agreed laughingly.

Nessa was thrillified by the suggestion of their family visiting next month, already feeling a little homesick before the carriage was even out of Munchkinland.

"That will be wonderful," she said excitedly to Elphaba and Xia. "They could meet our friends even. We could show them so much more of the campus. You could show them the _Gazette_ office, Fabala."

Elphaba nodded distantly, and then froze as a thought occurred to her.

"Crap. You don't think that's their plan, do you?" Elphaba asked her sister. "To meet Fiyero?"

"Oh, surely not," Nessa protested. "Xia?"

"I don't think your parents have an agenda other than seeing you girls," Xia reassured them. "But," she added before Elphaba could relax. "I daresay they wouldn't refuse the chance to meet… the important people in your lives."

Elphaba groaned.

 **AN. Tomaz's comment about Elphaba being in her room all the time is something my sister once said to me after I moved out.**

 **What did we think of Frex and Annalie's reaction to all Elphaba's news? The girls relationship with their brother?**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN. It only just occurred to me that a bunch of people have either just gone back to school or about to go back to school (I'm Australian. Our school year is Feb-Dec). So, happy back to school, for those to whom it applies!**

 **And Sam- I forgot to mention last chapter, but your review was absolutely right! It's one of my favourite things about this AU.**

 **Chapter 16**

There was a note waiting for Elphaba when she checked in at the administration building upon their return to Shiz.

"What is it?" Nessa asked her curiously.

Elphaba frowned at the message. "I have to go see Morrible."

Nessa looked puzzled. "That's odd. Does she say why?"

"No."

"Should I come with you?"

Elphaba laughed. "Why, you think I'm in trouble?" she asked.

Nessa chuckled. "I can't think why you would be."

"I'll be fine, Nessa. You go unpack, find your friends. I'll fill you in later," Elphaba promised.

"Alright," Nessa said, easily convinced.

"I'll take your luggage up for you, Miss Elphaba," Xia offered.

Elphaba surrendered her bags without hesitation and headed off to Madame Morrible's office. She couldn't think why she was being called to see her, unless her parents had somehow already found the time to write to Morrible about the situation with Pinar.

Morrible was sitting at her desk filling out paperwork when Elphaba knocked on the door.

"Ah, Miss Elphaba," the Headmistress greeted her. "Welcome back. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, Madame," Elphaba replied apprehensively, sitting opposite the desk.

"I just wanted to inform you that your dorm room- that is, your _new_ room, with Miss Upland- has sustained some damage in the storm this past week. I understand Munchkinland also suffered from the storm?"

"Yes, Madame," Elphaba said with a frown. "What kind of damages?"

"A tree by the window was struck by lightning," Morrible told her. "It broke the window, and required the window and sill needing to be replaced. It wasn't the only room damaged, but thankfully nothing too severe."

She shuffled some papers on her desk. "The repairmen finished up this morning, but I am not sure as of yet if the room has been cleaned. I thought I should give you and Miss Upland warning before you go up to the room."

Elphaba thanked her and made a quick exit. Morrible always made her skin crawl slightly, but now she was eager to see exactly what condition the room was in.

At first glance, it didn't appear very different. There was still an overwhelming amount of pink, and Galinda- who had left Shiz after Elphaba and Nessa- clearly hadn't put away the belongings she'd decided against packing, as they were strewn across her bed, desk and vanity. A cleaner was in the room, doing something to the carpet under the window. She straightened up as Elphaba entered.

"I'm just treating the carpet, miss," she explained.

Elphaba nodded, placing her bag onto her bed. "That's fine. Thank you."

The woman gestured to a small paper brown package that was resting on Elphaba's desk.

"This was found by the repairmen. It was unmarked. The repairmen weren't sure who it belongs to."

Elphaba didn't recognise it, and as she'd only lived in the room for a week, it made sense that it was Galinda's package. She merely thanked the woman, who finished up and left.

Once she was alone, Elphaba picked up the parcel and left it on Galinda's nightstand for her to find. Upon closer examination of the window, Elphaba could tell the wood of the window sill was new and freshly painted; and there was still tape on the new window panes.

Xia had placed her bags at the end of the bed, and Elphaba made quick work of unpacking before she settled at her desk to write up a draft of an article about the storm damage in Munchkinland to show Rais the next day.

She honestly wasn't expecting Galinda arrive until late that night, or even the next day. Yet Galinda arrived just after half past five, dressed entirely inappropriately for the weather and hence, shivering.

"Hello," she greeted Elphaba, a mountain of luggage coming up behind her. "Dreadful weather, isn't it? Did you get that awful storm in Munchkinland?"

"I think everywhere got it," Elphaba replied. "You took all that luggage home for a _week?"_

"Oh no, don't be silly," Galinda giggled. "These are all new," she said, pointing to two of her suitcases.

Elphaba didn't know how to respond to that. "Right. Did you see Morrible when you got back?"

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "Yes. She told me about the storm damage. Although it doesn't look like anything got ruined, did it? Ooh, what's this?" she asked, spying the package.

Elphaba frowned. "They found it when replacing the window sill. Isn't it yours?"

Galinda shook her head. "No," she said, grabbing it to examine it more closely. "How odd. Have you seen Fiyero yet?"

"No, I don't know if he's back yet."

Galinda was rather distracted by the package. "Oh? I thought I saw him getting out of the carriage when I drove past Briscoe Hall."

"If that's the case, I'm sure his first priority is food," Elphaba said lightly. "I'll catch up with him at some point. We have no plans, he wasn't sure when he'd get back."

Galinda sighed rather dreamily. "A week in the Emerald City. Oz, it must be wonderful. All the parties… he must have met so many girls."

Elphaba blinked. "What?"

Galinda looked up at Elphaba. "Not that he'd _do_ anything," she hastily reassured her. "I mean, he must meet girls _everywhere._ But he's dating _you."_

"Thanks for the update," Elphaba said dryly.

Although her stomach squirmed a little at the thought.

A knock sounded on the door, and Elphaba moved to open it. Fiyero stood on the other side, bundled up in his outerwear, clearly just having arrived.

"Hi," he greeted Elphaba, grinning broadly.

"Hi," she replied, unable to stop herself from smiling back at him.

Galinda stuck her head into Fiyero's view. "Hi, Fiyero."

"Hey," he greeted her cheerfully, before looking back to Elphaba. "Want to get some coffee? Food? Drink?"

"Sure," Elphaba agreed immediately.

She pulled on her coat and scarf, grabbing her gloves and bag as she left the room, bidding farewell to Galinda as she stepped into the hall.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked him, pulling the door shut behind her.

"The pub?" Fiyero suggested. "I could go for a burger."

Elphaba nodded, putting on her gloves. "That sounds fine."

"One thing first though," Fiyero said, leaning over and kissing her deeply. "I missed you," he told her, pulling away.

Elphaba's lips curved into a smile. "You did?"

"Didn't you miss me?"

Elphaba chuckled, not wanting to admit just how much she had. "Maybe a little," she admitted. "How was the Emerald City?"

Fiyero shrugged, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked. "Wet. That storm was something, huh? I've had better trips. What about you? How was home?"

"Wet," Elphaba laughed. "But it was nice to be home."

As they walked into town, Elphaba told him about her week, including her father's ideas of suing the school or Pinar. Fiyero didn't seem that opposed to the idea.

"I don't know what the statute of limitations is on that though," he frowned. "Don't think I've covered that in one of the law classes I've done."

"Me either. What would you even sue for?" Elphaba asked him.

"Emotional damages?" Fiyero suggested. "Theft and destruction of property?"

Elphaba considered that and sighed. "So, you name a price? For what three and a half years of my time is worth? How do you do that?"

"I don't know," Fiyero admitted. "What did your parents say about you writing?"

"You mean not writing," Elphaba said dryly.

She shrugged. "Same thing you did, pretty much. They'll support me whatever I decide to do. Annalie's persuaded me to at least finish the class this semester, though."

"You feel ok about that?"

Elphaba frowned. "I don't know. I'm going to see Dr Farley in his office hours this week and discuss it with him."

"That's good," Fiyero said encouragingly.

He'd read everything Elphaba had given him of her writing while he'd been in the Emerald City and it had only confirmed his belief that Elphaba not writing would be a waste.

They settled into what had become their usual booth at the pub, the same back corner booth where they had done the interview. Elphaba asked about his time in the Emerald City as they ate, although she expected it all to be parties and going to bars with his friends. Fiyero gave a few short anecdotes in return but seemed rather distracted and sparse on details.

Finally, Elphaba had to question why.

"Is it secret guy's business or something?" she asked him laughingly. "You didn't do anything illegal, did you?"

Or, perhaps he _had_ met another girl in the city?

Elphaba tried to ignore that particular thought.

Fiyero looked a little sheepish. "No, nothing like that… it was quite boring, actually."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Boring? In the Emerald City? The storm put a damper on your fun?" she teased him.

Fiyero laughed. "Actually, I was relieved when the storm hit," he confessed.

Elphaba frowned slightly, and Fiyero pushed away his empty plate, getting up and moving to the other side of the booth so he was sitting next to Elphaba.

"It was good to see my friends again," he began. "The first night. We went out drinking, caught up on old times… all that stuff."

"Ok," Elphaba said, trying to follow where this was going. "Sure."

"But then the next night was the same. And the next night. And all I kept thinking," Fiyero said softly, taking her hand underneath the table. "Was that I'd rather be with you."

"Where? In _Munchkinland?_ " Elphaba laughed slightly in disbelief.

Fiyero shrugged. "Munchkinland, the city, here. Where ever. I just missed you."

Elphaba entwined her fingers with his, a lump in her throat. "Missed what exactly?"

"Talking with you, seeing you," Fiyero rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.

She smiled. "So let me get this straight. You were in the Emerald City, the most magical place in Oz; and you spent the time wishing you were in Munchkinland, _talking_ with me?"

Fiyero grinned slyly. "Talking, sure. Or I'm sure we could have come up with other ideas," he said, leaning over and kissing her softly.

Elphaba let out a faint giggle, but Fiyero frowned slightly.

"What is it, Fae?"

"What do you mean?" she asked in surprise, but Fiyero just looked to her expectantly.

She faltered briefly. "You were really bored? In the city?"

"Desperately bored," Fiyero nodded solemnly.

A small smile flickered over her face, and he squeezed her hands.

"What is it?" he asked again.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just… missed you. I almost wrote to you a hundred times," she admitted.

Fiyero looked for a moment as though he was about to say something and then he leaned forward and kissed her. Elphaba slid her hands up his arms, shifting closer as he deepened the kiss. His hand came up to cup her cheek, winding up in her hair, and goosebumps erupted on her skin as his fingers grazed against her scalp. He tasted of ketchup and beer and she shivered slightly as his other hand ran down her spine, leaning further into him.

Elphaba finally broke the kiss, both of them breathing heavily. She didn't move away though, and Fiyero made no move either except to press his lips softly against her temple.

"So, I realised something on the way back today," Fiyero told her, his voice slightly husky.

"Hmm?" Elphaba asked, a little dazed. "What?"

Fiyero grinned knowingly, one hand sliding through her hair gently. "It's been one month today since our first date."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It is?"

"It is," he confirmed.

"Ok, so what does that mean?"

"I _think_ it means, I owe you a fancy date," Fiyero informed her. "What do you think about _The OzDust?"_

Elphaba wrinkled her nose. "That's what counts as fancy?"

He laughed. "You've never been inside," he reminded her.

Elphaba hesitated. "I know, but still…"

"I know. Not your scene. Well, how about we go back to _The Peacock?"_ Fiyero suggested. "Next Saturday night?"

Elphaba smiled, kissing his cheek. "That sounds great," she said sincerely.

"How many one-month anniversaries have you had before?" she asked carefully, trying to sound nonchalant.

Fiyero's gaze was rather knowing, however. "A few. None I've remembered," he admitted. "Or cared enough about to festivate."

Elphaba smiled faintly.

He grinned. "Just fair warning- I'm expecting a gift."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Also, I read your stuff," he said casually.

Elphaba tensed. "Oh? And?"

He smiled softly, gently tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear. "I think you're brilliant."

Elphaba tried to stifle a smile. "And I suppose you're not at all biased?"

He grinned. "Not at all," he reassured her, and kissed her again before she could ask any follow up questions.

Elphaba returned to the room an hour later, humming under her breath happily.

"Hi, Elphie," Galinda greeted her, sitting on her bed wrapped in a pink, fluffy robe and reading a letter.

"Hi," Elphaba replied, in too good a mood to argue about the 'Elphie' moniker. "What are you doing?"

Galinda looked a little sheepish. "Well," she said slowly. "I opened that package that was found in the window sill."

Elphaba frowned slightly, not understanding her facial expression. "Ok. What was in it?"

Galinda held up a small stack of paper. "Letters!"

Elphaba dumped her coat and outerwear on the bed and sat down. "Letters?"

"Yeah. Between someone named 'Ali' and someone named 'King'... I think."

"You think?" Elphaba replied. It took her a moment to make the realisation. "You _read_ them?"

"Just the first one!" Galinda defended herself. "There's only one in an envelope, so none of the others are sealed. I thought if I knew who they belonged to, I could return them. But Oz, Elphie. You _have_ to read it! I have _so_ many questions! And they're really old. You like history, right?"

"How old?" Elphaba asked.

She had no doubt that Galinda was the kind to think anything over ten years old was practically an antique.

"1837," Galinda replied, handing Elphaba the paper.

Elphaba had to give her that. Nearly one hundred years definishly classed as old. Still, Elphaba felt a little odd as she opened the letter, like she was invading someone's privacy.

"Ugh, I'm going to need my glasses for this," she said, seeing the faded, scrawling print on the page.

She pulled her glasses case out from her nightstand drawer, and put them on before she started to read, Galinda looking on impatiently.

 _September 8_ _th_ _,1837_

 _K-_

 _Where are you?_

 _I'm getting really worried. Jair hasn't heard from you, I haven't heard from you, and the administration building won't tell us anything._

 _I don't understand why you're not here. The only thing we can think of is that there's been some kind of problem with your scholarship, but that doesn't explain why we haven't heard from you. Or at least why you haven't contacted Jair._

 _I know everything was a mess when you left my parents' house, but you didn't let me explain. I've sent a dozen letters to you in the past month, and I don't know if any of them have gotten to you. They all say the same thing- I love you, and I'm so sorry._

 _I was naïve, I know that now. I thought that my parents would treat you better, because I love you. I thought my friends would make the effort to get to know you, because I've told them about how happy you make me._

 _I can't apologise enough._

 _I promise you K, there is nothing between me and Blaze. There never has been and there never will be. He never should have said anything to you, and I told him that after you left. I didn't know he was going to be there, he was supposed to be in the Emerald City. And I didn't know you'd be cornered like that._

 _King, you_ _know_ _I don't want that life. My mother's life._

 _Blaze is my parents' choice, yes. But I get a choice too. And I choose you, my darling, wonderful, King. Please, please believe me._

 _I need you to write me back. Or Jair. Oz, I don't even know if you're reading this. Are you so mad at me that you'd throw my letters away without reading them?_

 _King, please, please get in touch. It doesn't have to be with me, but I need to know that you're ok. I'm really worried._

 _I love you. Until the end of time._

 _Ali xxx_

Elphaba let out a breath as she looked up. "Ok, I'm intrigued," she admitted, handing the letter back to Galinda. "You didn't read any more?"

"I wasn't sure how ethical it was," Galinda admitted. "I thought I'd check with you before I read anymore. I mean, the letters are so old. They're probably dead now, right?"

"I would assume so," Elphaba said slowly, trying to do the maths.

There were no clues as to how old anyone was within the letter, but they would have to be over a hundred years old to still be alive, and she didn't know what the odds of that were. She was a little surprised Galinda was questioning the ethics of reading the letters, but rather touched that her reaction had been to ask Elphaba about it.

Galinda picked up the next letter in the stack, which appeared to be the only letter that was in an envelope.

"Isn't there a name or address on the envelope?" Elphaba asked.

"I can't make it out," Galinda said.

Elphaba took them from her to see for herself.

" _A Ben…_ something. Benniz?" she asked, squinting. She flipped it over to see the return address, but there was none.

"I suppose _'A'_ is Ali. Wait, this letter is _to_ Ali? Why would there be letters to and from the same person together?"

"Maybe King is female? Maybe they were roommates?" Galinda suggested. "Or maybe Ali never sent the letter to King, because he- or she- wrote back before she could? I don't know."

Elphaba frowned as she handed the letters back to Galinda. "Maybe."

"What should we do with them?"

Elphaba rose to her feet to hang up her coat. "What do you mean _we?_ It's got nothing to do with me."

"Aren't you _dying_ to know what happened? Who they are? Why they weren't talking?" Galinda demanded.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I already said I was curious. But they lived a hundred years ago, and you only have some vague names to go off. What kind of name is _King?"_

Galinda's eyes lit up. "Maybe it's a nickname? Or a code name? Say, did any of Fiyero's ancestors come to Shiz?" she asked eagerly.

Elphaba's brow furrowed. "Not that he's mentioned. You think ' _King'_ is royalty? Wouldn't that be a little obvious?"

"Maybe," Galinda admitted. "But still. I'll ask Fiyero tomorrow," she decided. "How was your dinner?"

"It was good," Elphaba replied. "He wants to take me out next weekend. It's been a month since our first date."

Galinda was immediately distracted from the letters.

"Oh, it's your one-month anniversary?!" she demanded excitedly. "Wow. I never would have guessed he'd remember that, let alone want to _festivate_ it! You're getting serious, huh?"

Elphaba faltered. "I don't know… we haven't discussed it. What does that even mean?"

"It means you can stop panicking if you accidentally refer to him as your boyfriend," Galinda told her gently, but Elphaba just winced slightly.

"I don't know," she said again.

Galinda didn't push it. "Where's he taking you?"

" _The Peacock."_

"What are you going to _wear?"_ Galinda demanded.

Elphaba shrugged carelessly. "I don't know. I've got a week to work that out."

Galinda shook her head. "No. You should get something new," she said firmly. Then her face lit up. "Do you want to go shopping?"

Elphaba barely suppressed a wince. That sounded exhausting.

"Uh, maybe. I'll let you know," she said vaguely, collecting her nightgown and things so she could shower before bed.

Galinda looked at her knowingly but said nothing.

The next day, Elphaba had plans to meet Nessa for lunch in the dining hall. Neither girl was surprised when Fiyero joined them, but admittedly weren't expecting Galinda to plop her tray down beside Nessa, so that she was sitting opposite Fiyero.

"Fiyero, has anyone in your family before you been to Shiz?" she greeted him.

Fiyero looked appropriately confused. "Er, not that I know of. Why?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "The window sill in our room got replaced because of storm damage," she explained. "They found a packet of letters underneath, and Galinda's read one."

Galinda nodded eagerly. "They're from 1837. One of them goes by 'King', so it might be a nickname. I thought maybe it means they're royalty, and well, the Vinkus is the only province in Oz with a monarchy. Does that ring any bells? Someone with the nickname King?"

Fiyero screwed up his forehead as he racked his brain.

"I don't think so. You said 1837? That'd be my… great- great grandfather, who was on the throne then," he said thoughtfully. Then immediately made a face. "But he was the worst. His nickname was the Ice King."

Galinda perked up in interest. "The Ice King?"

"But I think he was really old then," Fiyero continued.

Galinda pouted. "Not him then. Anyone who was our age and preferably cute?"

"Why does it make a difference if they're cute?" Elphaba demanded, but Galinda ignored her.

"I don't really have my family tree memorised, Galinda," Fiyero told her. "I know stories and fun facts, I'm not great with dates. I only know _that_ one, because my great-great grandfather was assassinated the next year, which is a thing you kind of remember."

"Your ancestor being assassinated is a _fun fact?"_ Elphaba asked Fiyero sceptically.

He merely shrugged.

Galinda sighed in frustration. "Well, how do we find out?" she asked Elphaba. "The library?"

"I didn't realise she knew there's a library here," Fiyero muttered to Elphaba.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're not really one to talk, Yero," she retorted and then turned back to Galinda.

"Does this mean you solved your ethical dilemma?"

"What ethical dilemma?" Nessa asked.

Galinda sighed. "Whether or not it's ok to read the letters. I only read one, and it wasn't in an envelope. They're a hundred years old, so it's not like these people are going to come looking for them, right?"

"Can I see it?" Fiyero asked her.

Galinda pulled it from her purse and handed it to him.

"So, apparently, we've decided it's ok to read this one letter?" Elphaba asked Galinda.

"Well, _we've_ already read it," Galinda pointed out. "It's certainly not going to do any harm for Fiyero to read what we've already read."

"I want to read it too!" Nessa chimed in.

When Fiyero had read the letter and passed it over to Nessa, he immediately voted that they read the rest of the letters.

"How many are there?" he asked Galinda.

"Six," Galinda answered. "Including that one."

Nessa read the letter, her mouth forming the words as she read.

"It's certainly compelling," she admitted when she'd finished. "But there's not much to go on, is there?"

"Not with one letter," Galinda hinted.

Elphaba poked at her food with a sigh. "Why are you asking _us_ about this?" she asked her roommate. "Why not your friends?"

"They don't care about this," Galinda admitted. "Pfannee said I should just throw them away."

Elphaba winced. The letters may not prove to be anything important, but nonchalantly throwing away hundred years old letters did not sit well with her.

Galinda insisted they go to the library after lunch, in order to rule out Fiyero's ancestors as 'King'. Elphaba successfully resisted the urge to speak one of the _many_ comments that sprung to mind and agreed. When they entered the building, Fiyero and Galinda both looked to Elphaba for direction and she sighed slightly.

"The history section is over here," Elphaba pointed, leading the way.

She found the shelves that contained the books on Vinkun history, flicking through a couple until she found a family tree, and then she passed the book over to Fiyero.

"Hey, I'm not in here!" Fiyero immediately complained, his eyes going to the bottom of the tree.

"We're not looking for _you,"_ Galinda reminded him.

"I know, but still. Would it kill them to upgrade their resources?" Fiyero grumbled. "Ok, here. Egon, my great-great grandfather," he pointed to the name.

Galinda peered over his shoulder. "Did he have kids?"

Elphaba stared at her for a moment incredulously. "Fiyero's existence would suggest so," she pointed out.

Galinda waved a hand. "You _know_ what I mean, Elphie. How old were his kids when the letters were written?"

Behind her, Nessa stared at her sister with wide eyes. ' _Elphie?'_ she mouthed.

Elphaba rolled her eyes at her and shook her head slightly.

Fiyero was doing the maths. "In 1837, his kids would be twenty-two and nineteen, I reckon," he told Galinda.

She looked thoughtful. "Nineteen is about our age. Who was he?"

"Tito. My great-grandfather," Fiyero replied.

"Is there anything about him going to Shiz?" Galinda demanded eagerly.

Elphaba took the book from Fiyero in search of the answer, and shook her head a few minutes later.

"Sorry, Galinda. Looks like Tito completed university in the Vinkus."

Galinda's face fell. "Oh," she said disappointedly.

"It would have been too easy for it to be Fiyero's relative, wouldn't it?" Nessa asked Galinda sympathetically.

"I guess," Galinda agreed reluctantly.

"Maybe there's answers in the other letters?" Fiyero hinted, not at all subtly.

Galinda brightened. "That is true," she agreed. "We'll find out tomorrow."

The others all stared at her in bewilderment.

"Tomorrow?" Nessa finally said. "Why not now?"

Galinda jumped to her feet. "I've got plans with Milla," she explained. "What about lunch tomorrow?"

"What about dinner?" Fiyero countered. "Fae has a class at noon."

Elphaba was no longer surprised that he seemed to know her class schedule better than his own.

Galinda nodded. "That should work," she frowned. "That should give me plenty of time to find Elphie the perfect outfit."

"Whoa," Elphaba immediately protested. "What are you talking about?"

"You said we'd go shopping to find you something for your date next weekend."

"No," Elphaba corrected her. "I said I'd _think_ about going shopping… you know, to be polite."

Galinda ignored her. "You're welcome to come too, Nessarose," she told her.

Nessa looked slightly taken aback. "Oh. Thank you. That sounds lovely," she replied.

Galinda looked satisfied. "Wonderful. See you all later then!" she said and disappeared.

Stunned, Elphaba turned to Fiyero. "What just happened?"

Fiyero grinned. "I think Galinda's decided that you are friends now. Or at least shopping buddies."

Elphaba winced. "I hate shopping," she groaned.

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Nessa offered supportively.

Elphaba wasn't that naïve.

 **AN. As I said, this fic was inspired by a episode of 90s sitcom _Mad About You._ The episode is from season 2, called "Love Letters". It's conveniently on YouTube! I'm posting the link on my social medias if anyone would like to watch it.**

 **And now we get to the mystery! Are we intrigued?**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN. I loved hearing everyone's theories about the letters in the last chapter!**

 **Chapter 17**

When Elphaba returned to the room after her law class the next afternoon, Galinda was waiting for her impatiently.

" _Finally._ Are you ready?"

Elphaba dumped her bookbag on her desk wearily. "Galinda, I'm not sure about this. I am pretty sure we have _very_ different styles, and I don't really need something new."

"Don't be silly," Galinda said, fussing with her hair before the mirror as she put on her hat. "It's always nice to have something new for a special occasion. Come on, I told Nessa we'd meet her downstairs."

As the three girls walked into town, Galinda asked Elphaba a dozen questions about her time working at the dressmaker's in Munchkinland, which quickly segued into questions about fashion. She was despaired to find out Elphaba had no interest at all in the subject.

"I know some designer's names, I know the jargon," Elphaba told her. "If you gave me a pattern, I could probably make it. But I don't care about fashion in the least."

"How is that possible?" Galinda demanded.

Elphaba shrugged. "They're just clothes. And I hate the ridiculous idea that if you don't replace your wardrobe every season following the ideas of what a select group of people deem is the 'right' thing to wear at the time, you're the wrong kind of person."

Galinda looked a little contrite at that response.

"That makes sense," she said carefully.

Elphaba actually felt a little bad for her.

"I'm not the best shopping companion," she apologised. "Right Nessa?"

Nessa chuckled. "It's true," she allowed. "Unless it involves a bookstore."

Shopping with Galinda was definishly as exhausting as Elphaba had expected it to be. However, she was surprised that the blonde made efforts to pick out things to show her that Elphaba would actually wear.

"You prefer black?" she asked Elphaba.

Elphaba shrugged, flicking through a row of dresses. "It's easiest," she admitted. "I just aim for things that don't look terrible with green."

Annalie had always tried to steer her within the limited colour palette that worked with her skin, but Elphaba definitely gravitated towards darker colours.

Nessa held up a dress to show her sister. "What about this one, Fabala?"

Elphaba took it from her and held it up. "I like this one," she said, checking the price tag.

Galinda snatched the dress from her hands. "Elphie. You _don't_ check the price tag before trying it on," she rolled her eyes.

Elphaba chuckled. "Do you _ever_ look at price tags?"

"Not really," Galinda admitted. "I just buy what I like."

Elphaba tried the dress on readily enough. It was black, off the shoulder and fitted, coming to her knees, with long flowing sleeves.

"Do you think the sleeves would be annoying while I ate?" she asked Nessa, presenting the dress for their opinion and critically examining her reflection.

Nessa considered it carefully and shook her head. "No, I think it'll be fine. It suits you. And you should definishly wear your hair down. What do you think, Galinda? Galinda?"

Elphaba turned around from the mirror and saw Galinda had gone.

"Where did she go?" Elphaba looked around. "Wasn't she here a second ago?"

Nessa wheeled herself off to the side, looking for the blonde.

"She's over at the shoes," she reported back, looking over to her sister.

Elphaba groaned. "Galinda, I have shoes. I don't need to buy a whole outfit," she called over to her.

"Do you have heels?" Galinda demanded, returning with two pairs of heels in her arms.

Elphaba hesitated. She owned exactly one pair of stilettos, which were currently in her closet back in Munchkinland.

"Can't I wear boots? It's only March and it's not exactly warm yet," Elphaba pointed out practically.

Nessa looked hesitant. "I think the dress would work with boots," she said slowly. "But I'm kind of with Galinda on this one. Heels."

Elphaba's shoulders slumped. "Easy for you to say," she muttered. "You're not the one who'll be walking to and from town in the damn things."

She did cave and buy the heels, however.

By the time they met Fiyero at _The Wilted Rose_ for dinner, Elphaba was exhausted.

"How'd it go?" he asked her, kissing her lightly.

"It was… tiring, but not horrendible," Elphaba had to admit.

"You found something?" he asked, trying to peer into the bag she was holding.

"You're very observant," she teased him, shoving the bag under the table. "Yes, I did."

Galinda fidgeted impatiently on her seat. "Do you want to eat first or read the letter?" she asked them all.

"Eat," Elphaba voted. "I'm starving."

Fiyero agreed, and Galinda pouted. "Fine."

"Galinda, what are you hoping to find out from the letters?" Nessa asked her as they ate.

"I want to know who they are! Well, were, I suppose," Galinda amended, wrinkling her nose slightly. "I want to know why King… whoever they are, didn't come back to Shiz. I still think it's a guy, though."

Elphaba frowned. "I just can't explain it. The first letter was written by this Ali person, yes? And she seems to be at Shiz, while 'King' isn't. So how is her letter in the dorm room?"

"Maybe she never sent it?" Nessa suggested.

"But why put it in the window sill?" Elphaba demanded. "The second letter is in an envelope addressed to Ali… we're assuming. With no return address."

"Wait, why assuming?" Fiyero asked.

"The handwriting on the envelope is just _horrendible._ I can't imagine how it ever arrived without getting lost in the post," Galinda told him.

She dug the letter out of her purse to show him.

Fiyero squinted at the writing. " _A Bomis?_ Bomig?"

"I think it's _Benniz,"_ Elphaba corrected him.

"Room 403, Crage Hall, Shiz University. Ok, so 'A' is 'Ali', and she used to live in your room. And she wrote the letter to 'King', but the letter ended up in the window sill," Fiyero listed off everything they knew so far.

"Have I missed anything?"

"I think Ali must be from a wealthy family," Elphaba said thoughtfully. "Whoever she is."

"What makes you say that?" Galinda asked, puzzled.

"You have a private suite," Elphaba pointed out.

" _We_ have a suite," Galinda corrected immediately.

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Right. I'm assuming the room has always been that way, given the size. Only wealthy families would be able to afford that. Besides, it sounds like her parents don't approve of King, which I'm assuming means he _isn't_ from a well-off family. We at least know he's on a scholarship."

Galinda looked offended. "Why can't Ali be poor? Why couldn't her parents disapprove of her being with a _rich_ boy?"

"Would your parents prefer you be with someone of your social class?" Elphaba asked her. "Would they be happy if you brought home… I don't know… Boq, as your boyfriend?"

Galinda blinked. "Who?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. " _Boq._ From the paper?"

"Bick," Fiyero chimed in helpfully.

Galinda's face cleared. "Oh, _Bick."_

"His name is _Boq_ ," Elphaba and Nessarose replied in unison, Elphaba's tone more exasperated than Nessa's.

Elphaba sighed. "Honestly, Galinda. Imagine it. You bring Boq back to meet your parents, a farmer's son from Munchkinland, and tell them that you're in love with him. Are they happy about that?"

Galinda frowned thoughtfully. "If I really loved him, they'd be happy, I'm sure," she said, but she didn't sound certain.

"Besides," Fiyero chimed in again. "What poor family is going to be upset that their kid might marry someone rich?"

Elphaba just gave him a look in return.

Galinda insisted on opening the letter when the time came, and she squealed as she skimmed it, drawing attention from nearby tables.

"It's from King!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Great," Elphaba replied. "What does it say?"

Galinda groaned slightly. "Ugh. The handwriting really is awful. I can barely make any of it out. Elphie, you try."

Elphaba sighed, but obediently took the letter from her, although she had to put her glasses on before even attempting to read it.

" _Dear Ali,_

 _I'm sorry that you were worried. It was never my intention._

 _I'm not sure how to write this letter, and I've been putting it off for weeks. I kept hoping things might change, but I know I owe you an explanation._

 _There's been no problems with my scholarship. But a few days after I returned from Gilikin, my grandmother had a stroke, and she's still in a coma. No one is sure if she'll wake up, or what her condition will be if she does wake up._

 _On top of that, Sarin's been put on bed rest until the babies comes because of her blood pressure. There's just so much going on here, and I can't leave. Lelah has her own family, and I can't leave Maman and Jam on their own. I'd feel too guilty, and I'd be too distracted to focus on classes. I miss you, though. I know I should have written sooner, but I was hoping Bibi would wake up, and maybe it would all work out._

 _Maman has contacted Shiz about what's happening. We're hoping things might have calmed down enough that I can go back next semester, but I can't promise anything. And the school may not hold my scholarship, we haven't heard back from them yet._

 _About what happened at your parents' house. I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have left like that. I keep thinking about it and I feel awful. But at the same time, maybe it happened for a reason. Maybe we've been deluding ourselves._

 _I love you, Ali. More than anything. But I feel like at Shiz, we've been living in a bubble. It's so easy to forget about everything beyond you and everything that I feel when I'm with you. Going to your home really opened my eyes to what the real world is like. Let's be honest, your parents won't ever approve of me. Your friends won't ever approve of me. How is that going to work in the long run?_

 _What if we got married? You'd be shunned by your family, your friends. Not to mention, I can't give you the life you're used to. Blaze had a point when he said that he can give you a better life. I hate him, and I hate that he's right, but it's true. They think you can do better than a lowly Quadling._

 _We're from such different worlds, eshgham. My family is artisans and tradespeople, not debutantes and high teas. In the long-term, could I really make you happy?_

 _And that's all I want. I want you to be happy, Ali. And I don't know. Maybe this is Fate's plan, to give us time apart and see if we're meant to be._

 _I love you and I will until the end of time._

 _Your King."_

Galinda's eyes were as wide as saucers when Elphaba looked up from the letter. Silence fell around the table, and even Fiyero was listening intently.

"Well," Elphaba said finally, reaching for her water glass, her throat slightly dry from reading aloud. "At least we know what happened to King."

Nessa looked almost teary. "You don't think he'd do that, do you? Walk away so she could be with someone her parents approve of?"

"Oh, that would be so _romantic,"_ Galinda sighed.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Romantic?"

"If he gave her up to have the best life, I think that's romantic!"

"I think it's more romantic if she gives up the life she's used to," Nessa argued. "To choose him over her family."

As they began to debate which outcome and sacrifice was more romantic, Elphaba read the letter again, Fiyero peering over her shoulder.

"What's this word? _Eshgham,"_ Elphaba pointed out to him, guessing the pronunciation. "Is it a Quadling word, do you suppose?"

Fiyero grimaced slightly. "I'm bad with languages," he admitted. "I know a passable amount of Quoxian, and some old Vinkun words but that's it. I'd assume it's Quadling, but I wouldn't even guess at the translation."

"Maybe I'll ask around. _Someone_ must speak Quadling on campus," Elphaba reasoned.

She drew Galinda and Nessa's attention, ceasing the debate.

"Do you want to read the other letters?" she asked them.

" _Yes!"_ Galinda said, reaching for her purse.

Of the remaining four letters that they hadn't read yet, three were from King to Ali, and one written by Ali, all dated between September and December of 1837. King's grandmother died in October, but the university revoked his scholarship which meant he was unable to return to Shiz. In a letter dated from late November, King proposed marriage and Ali accepted. The final letter was from King, confirming the time and place they would meet to elope.

Every letter ended the same way.

 _Until the end of time._

Overall, the letters gave them more questions than answers. Galinda, in particular, was frustrated by the lack of information.

"These _can't_ be all the letters!" she burst out, re-reading one of them. "Are you _sure_ there was no more in the window?" she asked Elphaba.

"I didn't find them in the first place," Elphaba pointed out. "And they were wrapped up, remember? They probably just didn't keep all the letters. It still doesn't make sense to me that two letters Ali wrote ended up back in the room, so I'm not surprised we don't have more of hers."

"But I want to know what happened!"

"They eloped. You know what happened," Nessa said gently. "It sounds like they got their happy ending."

Fiyero looked confused. "Eloping is a happy ending?"

"Being together is their happy ending," Galinda corrected him.

Galinda continued to speak of nothing else for the next few days. Well, almost nothing else.

"Her new thing," Elphaba sighed to Nessa over lunch on Friday. "Is to point out every outfit in a magazine she likes and ask if I could make it."

Nessa laughed. "Because she actually wants you to make it for her?"

"No, I think she just wants to know if I _could._ It's like a test."

Elphaba sighed. "Although, it is preferable over her tearing our room apart, looking for anywhere more letters might be hidden. She was actually talking about getting someone to rip up the carpet so she could look under the floorboards, but I _think_ I've convinced her otherwise."

Nessa giggled. "It _would_ be nice to have more information. Aren't you curious?"

Elphaba's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, we know how it ended. They eloped. What else do we need to know?"

"Well, _I'm_ interested in Ali's family. Did they accept the marriage, or did they shun her?" Nessa asked.

"A valid question," Elphaba allowed.

Nessa looked to her sister solemnly. "Papa and Ima would never do that, would they? Cut us off if they disapproved of who we loved?"

Elphaba put her fork down, surprised and a little confused.

"What? Nessie, no. Where did _that_ question come from?" she asked, bewildered.

"I don't know. It's just the part of the story that's stuck with the most, I suppose. That parents would be so awful to the person their child loved."

Nessa looked like she might cry, and Elphaba reached out to squeeze her sister's hand lightly.

"Ima and Papa want us to be happy, I'm sure," Elphaba said firmly. "But I hardly think it's anything to worry about now. Unless you're dating someone that I don't know about?"

Nessa scoffed. "No."

"Well, then. Besides, if you date anyone at Shiz, they're going to have to get _my_ approval before they get anywhere near Ima and Papa," Elphaba said lightly.

Her sister laughed. "Why doesn't that work the other way around? Why doesn't Fiyero need my approval?"

Elphaba smiled. "Perk of being the big sister."

The next night was the date to belatedly festivate one month since Elphaba and Fiyero's first date. Elphaba had consented for Galinda to help her style her hair for the night, and even agreed to wear a minimal amount of makeup.

Milla had come by the room as Elphaba was getting ready to ask Elphaba a question about an assignment for their writing class and ended up staying to chat.

Elphaba had been rather surprised by the reaction of their fellow students since she had become Galinda's roommate. As Galinda had predicted, people had been talking to her more and the story of the bonfire was repeated only in hushed tones- and was definishly more sympathetic towards Elphaba than Pinar.

Elphaba hadn't seen her former roommate since moving out, although Galinda reported that she had decidedly fallen down the social ladder among the students, and most of her friends had even turned against her.

Of Galinda's own friends, Milla was still the only one who spoke to Elphaba. Pfannee and Shen-Shen were still as rude as ever, not that Elphaba cared. She didn't feel as though she was missing out on anything by not talking to them.

Milla sat on Galinda's bed now, nodding and feigning interest as Galinda recounted what they knew of Ali and King's story, curling Elphaba's hair into soft waves at the same time. Well, maybe it was just Elphaba's perspective that Milla was feigning interest. She herself had heard Galinda wax about the story so many times she was rather fatigued of it all herself.

"I think it must be so difficult to leave behind your family," Milla said now. "Even to be with the person you love."

"They were soulmates. That can withstand anything," Galinda said firmly. "Don't you think, Elphie?"

Elphaba paused, not sure what to say. "The Quadling people in that time period were treated terribly," she said. "I think it was only in the 1820's that they were even allowed to attend university. They still don't have a university in the Quadling Country," she pointed out. "I'm surprised that their relationship wasn't taboo even at Shiz. I'm not really surprised how it was viewed in Gilikin high society."

To her surprise, Milla nodded in agreement. "There's a chance that if Ali and King married, Ali's family would be shunned even by the association," she told Galinda. "I'm sure she took a big risk bringing him home to meet her parents."

Galinda frowned. "Does no one believe that 'love conquers all'?" she demanded.

"Nessa does," Elphaba laughed, which appeased Galinda slightly.

She pulled a curl back from either side of Elphaba's head, pinning them together delicately.

"Alright, hair's done," she said, stepping back and nodding in satisfaction. "You're good to go, Elphie."

"Thank you, Galinda," Elphaba said sincerely.

She moved over to her bed to put on her shoes. There was a small wrapped parcel on her nightstand and she picked it up hesitantly.

"I still don't know if we're doing gifts or not," she complained to Galinda. "He's made jokes all week about it, but I don't know if I was actually supposed to get him something."

She hadn't been sure what to get him, and it had caused her more stress than she was willing to admit. She had eventually found a little book that listed a holiday for every day of the year. Knowing Fiyero's fondness for holidays, she thought it would at least amuse him.

Galinda rolled her eyes, sitting down next to Milla and beginning to file her nails.

" _This_ is why you need to have the talk. Define the relationship. Figure out what this is."

"We agreed we're taking it slow- "

"You're festivating your one-month anniversary," Galinda pointed out. "I don't think acknowledging that you're in a relationship is pushing it too far."

Fiyero knocked on the door exactly at six-thirty, and Galinda went to answer it while Elphaba smoothed down her dress and collected her coat.

"Hi, Fiyero!" she greeted him brightly.

"Hi, Glin."

Galinda did a slight double take. " _Glin?"_

"What, you can call Fae _'Elphie',_ but I can't call you Glin?" Fiyero challenged her.

"But _Fae_ makes no sense!" Galinda protested.

"Sure it does. See, we were talking about-"

"Ok," Elphaba interrupted, appearing behind Galinda. "It's a long story, and we have dinner to get to."

Fiyero's eyes lit up as he saw Elphaba. "Hey. You look beautiful," he said with a soft smile.

Elphaba smiled back at him, admiring the suit and tie he was wearing. "Thank you. Shall we?"

She bid farewell to Galinda and Milla and stepped into the hall. Fiyero helped her put on her coat, and Elphaba carefully pulled her hair out from under the coat, careful not to disrupt any of the pins Galinda had used in her hair.

"I'm going to be a little slower than usual," she warned Fiyero, directing his gaze to the heels she wore. "These aren't the most practical shoes."

Fiyero chuckled. "We've got time," he reassured her, and offered her his arm.

They were seated more in the open of the restaurant this time, but it didn't bother Elphaba as it had a month ago. It was over dessert that the conversation turned to Ali, King and their letters. Elphaba recounted the conversation between Galinda and Milla earlier.

"Do you believe in soulmates?" Fiyero asked her.

Elphaba shook her head immediately. "No."

Fiyero smiled. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that, right? I mean, you don't believe in fate either."

Elphaba chuckled. "It's got nothing to do with fate, actually," she said, reaching for her wine glass.

"Then what is it?"

Elphaba faltered for a moment as she took a sip, then set down her glass.

"My father's been married twice," she reminded him. "I know how much he loved my mother, and how devastrated he was when she died. I also know that he loves my stepmother. To say that soulmates exist, what does that mean? That the love he and my stepmom have is less than what he had with my mother? Or is Annalie his soulmate, so what he had with my mother doesn't count?"

She met his gaze solemnly. "I don't remember my mother well, but I love her. And I love Annalie. I don't want to think that one of them is less than the other. So, it's got nothing to do with fate, I just don't think you necessarily can only really love one person in a lifetime."

She couldn't read Fiyero's expression.

"That makes sense," he finally said.

"You believe in soulmates?" she asked him, guessing the answer was yes.

Fiyero nodded slowly. "I guess so. Or, at least I believe that sometimes there's a person that you're meant to be with."

"Fate," Elphaba said.

She couldn't help but remember what he'd said to her the night of their first date, and she knew he was thinking of the same conversation as he smiled at her.

"Yeah. Maybe it's not for a lifetime, but… yeah."

Elphaba sat back in her chair, self-consciously pulling her hair over one shoulder and using her fingers to comb out non-existent tangles.

"Have you ever been in love?" she asked, struggling to meet his gaze.

It seemed like a big question to ask.

Fiyero paused for a moment thoughtfully but met her gaze steadily. "I think so," he finally replied, looking at her a little oddly.

He didn't have to ask her, he knew what her answer would be.

Elphaba nodded, not sure what to say in response to that. So, she changed the subject back to the letters.

"Anyway, Galinda insists that they're soulmates. She wants to know what happened to them after the letters stopped."

"And you don't?"

Elphaba frowned slightly. "I'm not sure… I can admit I'm curious about what changed. That first letter, he wasn't at all sure that they could make it work. They were from such different worlds. And then he proposed? Something must have convinced him that they could do it."

"Or maybe something happened that convinced him it was worth the risk to try," Fiyero said quietly.

Something in his face made Elphaba's heart flutter oddly, but she tried to ignore it.

"Maybe after they eloped they ended up regretting it."

"And maybe Galinda's right and they lived happily ever after," he countered.

"But what if King was right? What if they couldn't make it in the real world, outside of Shiz?" Elphaba pushed.

"So that means they shouldn't even try?"

"But maybe their worlds were just too different. Maybe _they_ were too different."

"Maybe that's what made them work," Fiyero said.

"What if he couldn't make her happy?" Elphaba asked softly.

Silence fell.

"Are we still talking about Ali and King?" Fiyero asked her.

Elphaba faltered uncertainly. They stared at one another for a long moment, until finally Fiyero caved.

"You and I aren't exactly at opposite ends of the social ladder," he said. "I'm a prince, you're a Governor's daughter."

"Yes," Elphaba allowed. "But I'm-"

"Green?"

She sighed. "Yes."

"So?" Fiyero asked her.

"So… maybe Shiz _is_ in a bubble. Things would be different in the real world. That's all I'm saying," Elphaba said. "We see each other daily. If we'd met anywhere else in Oz, who's to say we would have become friends?"

Fiyero looked faintly amused, much to her surprise.

"How exactly did we meet, in this hypothetical situation of yours?" he asked her, leaning back in his chair.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe we both happened to be in the Emerald City at the same time or something. But honestly, if you hadn't picked up that piece of paper, if the first time we met was when I interviewed you for the _Gazette,_ would we be here today?"

"Yes," Fiyero replied immediately.

She couldn't help but smile faintly. "Because of fate?"

"Yes."

Fiyero reached out for her hand across the table. "Fae, it doesn't matter how we got here. It just matters that we're here. Don't worry about what may or may not happen. Live in the moment," he urged her.

"I'm not very good at that," Elphaba said sceptically.

He grinned. "But I am. It's a big part of my life philosophy."

Elphaba reactively made a face and he laughed.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you," he reassured her.

Elphaba smiled weakly.

 **AN. You'll get to see the rest of the letters eventually, don't worry. In time ;)**

 **So much to talk about in this chapter! The letters, soulmates, the Shiz-bubble theory, and a little more bit on Fate and love. Also a little update on Pinar.**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN. 300 reviews! I don't know what else to keep saying but thank you!**

 **Shout out to the anon who was reviewer 300.**

 **Chapter 18**

Galinda had been rather disgruntled when Elphaba returned to the room, upon finding out they hadn't had the discussion she thought they should have.

" _Live in the moment._ What kind of stupid comment is that?" she complained.

Elphaba shrugged as she braided her hair for sleep. "You said it yourself. He's not known for long-term relationships, is he? According to you, it's a big deal that we've made it a month."

Galinda was at least pleased with Fiyero's choice of gift. He'd given Elphaba a simple silver necklace, with a horseshoe-shaped charm on it.

"They're lucky," he'd explained to her. "I figured you're at least open to the idea of luck, right?"

Elphaba also had not been wrong in thinking Fiyero would enjoy the book she'd found for him. As soon as he'd opened it, Fiyero had immediately flicked through to find the holidays for that date.

"Hey, it's National Something on a Stick Day!" he exclaimed. "Oh, we missed it."

Elphaba had almost laughed at the genuine disappointment on his face.

"You _need_ to have the talk," Galinda stressed to Elphaba now.

"Galinda, I can't _make_ him do anything," Elphaba said reasonably. "And maybe he's right. Maybe 'living in the moment' is the best course of action for now. I tend to overthink things," she admitted. "Ask my parents."

Galinda looked sceptical but didn't push it.

In hindsight, Elphaba should have been suspicious about that.

The following Wednesday was Elphaba's least favourite issue of the _Gazette_ since she'd been working on it. It just happened to be April Fool's Day, and Rais was keen to make a fun issue for the event. Elphaba had flatly refused to write anything for it. She'd always hated the day, and she'd expressly warned Fiyero against involving her in any pranks.

Because of this, she hadn't read the paper over breakfast as she usually did. It was her day with no classes, so she'd set herself up in her room to study. Being able to actually study in her dorm room now was proving to be wonderfully liberating, even if Galinda was still sleeping across the room. Galinda was similar to Fiyero in that she'd arranged her classes to avoid early morning where she could.

Luckily for both girls, Galinda was a sound sleeper and Elphaba preferred to study in silence.

Galinda woke around nine thirty, but she was still in bed when Elphaba took a study break around eleven, to get coffee and to stop by the admin office to check for mail. She was pleased to find letters for her both from her parents and Ottah. When she returned to the room, Galinda was in the bathroom, which allowed Elphaba to read her letters in peace.

"You look happy. Good news?" Galinda noted, when she eventually emerged from the bathroom.

Elphaba looked up with a smile. "My family's coming to visit in a few weeks," she replied happily.

"Oh, really?"

"On their way to the Emerald City," Elphaba nodded. They were going to bring Tomaz with them, Frex and Annalie had decided. And the timing of the visit meant that they would be able to see Elphaba the week before her twenty-second birthday.

Elphaba was sure that Nessa would have received a letter from home too, and she knew her sister would be equally thrillified about the news.

"They won't be here for long, but they want to take us for dinner. Nessa, and I… and our friends."

"Meaning Fiyero?" Galinda asked knowingly.

Elphaba hesitated. "I guess. He may not want to."

Galinda looked as though she was stopping herself from saying something with great difficulty.

Elphaba had pre-arranged to meet Nessa after her Art History class at noon for lunch, and then meet Fiyero an hour later when he got out of his Politics class. There was nothing unusual about that, and she wasn't expecting anything odd to happen, even if it _was_ April Fool's Day.

So, when she met Nessa outside her classroom and saw the strange look on her face, Elphaba was more bewildered than anything.

"What's up?"

Nessa looked at her carefully. "Did you see the paper today?"

Elphaba frowned. "The _Gazette?_ No, I didn't think this issue was going to be particularly newsworthy. Why?"

Nessa pulled a copy from her book bag and handed it to her sister. "You should read Galinda's column."

Elphaba made a face, but obediently went searching for the column, _Galinda's Guidance._

"The second letter," Nessa said helpfully, when she'd found it.

Elphaba sighed lightly. "Ok. ' _Dear Galinda, I've been seeing someone for over a month now, and we've been taking it slow. However, we still haven't had the talk to define our relationship and I'm not sure how to bring it up'…_ hang on," she said slowly, as it dawned on her.

"She didn't. She wouldn't," she said, gaping at the paper in her hands. Then she closed her eyes tiredly. "Of _course_ she would."

"I didn't _think_ you were ' _Hesitant Hattah',"_ Nessa smiled faintly. "But the situation… Galinda wrote the question herself then?"

Elphaba groaned slightly, burying her face in her hands. "Oz, why can't I just get a _normal_ roommate?" she demanded.

Nessa chuckled sympathetically. "I do think she means well, Fabala," she consoled her. "Read her answer."

Reluctantly, Elphaba lowered her eyes back to the paper.

' _Dear Hesitant Hattah,'_ Galinda had written.

' _Taking a relationship slow is not a bad thing. It can be a good thing. But as the Bible says "even the tortoise eventually gets to its destination, although not as quickly as the tiger."_

 _The Talk is seen as a scary thing, but it's not. You_ _need_ _to have the talk, and you can't be afraid to do it. It doesn't have to be a big deal, but you can't avoid it._

 _The Talk doesn't mean you have to plan a lifetime together. It just means acknowledging what the person means to you and that you're in a relationship. If you've been seeing the same person for a month, and you're not seeing anyone else, you_ _are_ _in a relationship._

 _Pretending otherwise is ludicrous._

 _Have the talk._

 _Love, Galinda.'_

Elphaba gaped at Nessa. "Are Fiyero and I are a tortoise? Is that what she's saying? What does that even mean? Oz, that _stupid_ book!"

Nessa chuckled faintly, although she appeared sympathetic. "Galinda's wording is definitely… unique," she said carefully.

Elphaba scoffed.

"I think her point is that even if you take a relationship slow, it still has to move forward at some point."

Elphaba winced. "Do you know if Fiyero's seen this?" she asked apprehensively.

"I don't know," Nessa replied honestly.

Elphaba groaned and slumped against the corridor wall. "I'm going to kill her. What if Fiyero has seen this, and thinks I actually wrote it?"

"Fabala, surely Fiyero knows you better than that," Nessa consoled her. "But all you can do is ask him, I suppose."

Elphaba was actually tempted to avoid Fiyero, but she was pretty sure that he'd track her down even if she did. So, when his class let out an hour later, she was sitting on a bench opposite the classroom, writing a letter to her grandparents.

"Hey."

Elphaba stilled for just a second before she looked up at him. "Hi."

He didn't look as though he'd seen Galinda's column, but Elphaba couldn't be certain.

"What are you doing?" he asked, nodding towards the paper in her hands. "School work? Paper work? Writing work?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Letter to my grandparents," she replied. "Annalie wrote that my grandmother's been ill, so I wanted to… anyway, how was class?"

Fiyero made a face. "I hate politics," he complained. "Dr Bower is the most boring person on the planet. I'd rather watch paint dry than listen to him talk."

Elphaba smiled slightly.

"Any luck on that writing class assignment?" Fiyero asked her.

She shook her head ruefully. "No. I wrote two paragraphs last night and they're terrible."

"I'm sure they're not _terrible-"_

"No, they're terrible," she said flatly. "Nothing flows and it took me twenty minutes to get a description of the sky right. The _sky,_ Fiyero. It is not a difficult thing to describe. It's freaking _blue."_

Fiyero eyed her warily. "How much coffee have you had this morning?"

She sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"I just hate it," she said quietly. "I _want_ to write. I want to want to write. But every time I try, it ends up being terrible."

Fiyero eased himself down onto the bench beside her. "Do you still think about your book?"

Elphaba paused, frowning. "More about what I had already written than the bits I had planned," she said. "Phrases pop into my head at random moments and I don't know if they're ideas or memories of what I wrote."

Fiyero squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry, Fae."

She forced a smile. "It's fine. Are you hungry?"

"Always," he replied lightly, taking her hint to change the subject.

They went to the dining hall so Fiyero could grab some food, and then at Elphaba's request, they stopped by the library.

"What are you looking for?" he asked her, following her to a back corner.

"I just need some books for the Philosophy assessment I have coming up," Elphaba explained, already pulling books off the shelves.

"Ah, and I'm here to lug them all upstairs for you," Fiyero said knowingly.

Elphaba laughed. "I'm perfectly capable of carrying a few books myself. But I just thought that while we were walking right by, I should get the books now."

Fiyero scoffed. "A few books," he said sceptically.

Elphaba rolled her eyes but had to admit he was right. When she had checked out her pile of books, Fiyero insisted on carrying at least half of them back up to her room for her.

"So, what was the news from your folks?" Fiyero asked her as they headed upstairs to her room.

Elphaba barely glanced at him, merely handed him more books to hold so she had a free hand to get out her room key.

"Uh, not much. Some local news, update on the storm damage. They're actually coming to visit in a few weeks," she said, opening the door.

"Oh, really? How come?"

Elphaba dumped her bag on the bed and took the books from him to place on her desk. "Papa's got some meetings in the Emerald City. They thought it was a good opportunity to stop by and visit."

"Cool," Fiyero said casually.

Elphaba nodded, not looking at him as she arranged the books on the desk.

"They- they want to take us for dinner while they're here. Nessa and I… and our friends."

There was a pause and then, from behind her, came the sound of creaking bedsprings and Fiyero said "Ah."

Elphaba said nothing, and slowly turned to face him, leaning against her desk.

Fiyero was sitting on her bed, looking at her, his face irritatingly blank.

"When are they coming?" he finally asked.

"The nineteenth. It's a Sunday."

"You should suggest we go to _The Peacock,"_ Fiyero suggested. "Or, what's that place near the church? _Willowbranch?_ It's a dumb name, but the food's good. If your brother's coming, it's probably better. More kid-friendly."

Elphaba swallowed her surprise. "So, you'll come?"

Fiyero nodded. "Sure."

"You want to meet my family?" Elphaba asked him.

"Do you want me to meet them?"

"Yes," Elphaba replied readily, with surprising ease. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Fiyero nodded slowly, his face changing ever so slightly. "We are," he agreed. "Although, I was kind of thinking you'd introduce me as your boyfriend."

Elphaba tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyebrow rising.

"Boyfriend?"

Fiyero raised his eyebrow right back at her, and she had to bite back a smile. "Yeah. What do you think?"

He held out a hand to her.

"So, that would make me your…" Elphaba said slowly as she took it.

"Girlfriend," Fiyero confirmed, gently drawing her over to him and onto his knee.

Elphaba let out a breath as she sat down, feeling more than a little self-conscious. "Girlfriend," she repeated, as though tasting the word on her tongue, seeing how it felt to say aloud.

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. Something about a tortoise?"

Elphaba half laughed, half groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm going to kill Galinda. Or at least get rid of that stupid book she's always quoting. Although I'm sure she has the damn thing memorised."

"Galinda isn't exactly subtle, is she?" Fiyero agreed, squeezing her knee lightly.

Elphaba opened her eyes and turned her head to meet his gaze, her arm going around his shoulders to keep her balanced.

"Are you sure? This isn't some kind of April Fool's Day prank? What about all that 'living in the moment' stuff?" she asked him.

"That was about not worrying about what might happen after graduation," he reminded her. "This… this is different."

He took her hand that was on her lap, frowning slightly.

"All I know," he said slowly. "Is that the days I see you are my best days."

Elphaba admittedly melted at that. "You see me every day," she pointed out.

Fiyero grinned at her. "What does that tell you?"

Elphaba couldn't help but smile back at him and she kissed him softly. Fiyero tightened his arm around her waist, resting his forehead against hers as they settled into silence.

"Was that it?" she asked finally. "The whole… talk thing?"

"I don't know," Fiyero admitted. "I've never had it before. It usually ends before it gets to that."

"It ends, or you end it?" Elphaba asked knowingly, and he looked at her sheepishly.

"A bit of both," he mumbled and Elphaba chuckled.

Galinda was completely unapologetic and more than slightly smug when Elphaba finally saw her roommate again that evening.

"It worked, didn't it?" she pointed out. "You had the talk?"

"We had _a_ talk," Elphaba replied. "He's going to meet my parents- as my boyfriend."

Galinda beamed. "It's a start," she said cheerfully.

Elphaba hadn't really expected anything to change between her and Fiyero after their conversation, but something did appear to have shifted between them. Or maybe it was just that Elphaba had finally let herself relax a little bit.

As they moved further into April, Elphaba's focus was mostly focused between Fiyero, the paper and her classes. Much to Galinda's frustration, everyone seemed to have forgotten about the letters and the mystery they held- at least in Galinda's mind.

"We haven't forgotten about them," Elphaba reassured her. "There's just not much else we can do about it."

And that seemed to be true. All of them, even Galinda, were rather stuck for ideas of how to find out more. After all, they only had a few names to go on.

Until the Wednesday morning of the week Frex and Annalie would come to visit, Nessa and Elphaba were eating breakfast, both reading the _Gazette._

Elphaba was deeply immersed in critically re-reading her own article. There was a paragraph that Rais had ordered her to cut, and she'd fought fiercely to keep it in, despite it going over the word length. She'd insisted it was needed to give a fuller understanding, but Rais had cut it anyway. Elphaba was still not happy about it, clearly.

She was so caught up, she almost missed Nessa's casual remark.

"Oh, we'll have to order yearbooks."

"Hmmm," Elphaba replied absent-mindedly, and then whipped up her head. "Wait, what did you say?"

Nessa barely blinked. "I said, we'll have to order yearbooks," she repeated herself patiently. "There's a notice about it here in the paper. All students wanting to purchase a yearbook for this year, need to place orders with the administration office before next Friday. Fabala, where are you going?"

"Library," Elphaba said briskly, jumping to her feet and grabbing her copy of the paper.

"Now? Why?"

"An idea," Elphaba answered unhelpfully.

She turned to leave, almost running into Fiyero.

"Hi," he greeted her, not looking very alert.

Elphaba didn't stop, simply kissed him briefly and kept going. "I've got to go," she said and hurried off.

Fiyero looked after her in bewilderment. "Go where? You have no classes today!" he called after her.

He looked back to Nessa. "Where is she going?"

"The library," Nessa explained.

As Fiyero slumped into Elphaba's vacant chair tiredly, Nessa checked the time.

"Don't _you_ have class? At nine?"

It was almost quarter past.

Fiyero shrugged. "Yeah."

Nessa merely smiled and resumed her breakfast.

Elphaba, meanwhile, had gone to the library and then hurried back to her dorm room. When she entered the room, Galinda was awake but still in bed. She lifted her head from the pillow as Elphaba sat herself on the end of the bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked her. "What's with the books?"

"These," Elphaba answered. "Are the Shiz yearbooks for 1836, 1837 and 1838."

Galinda blinked at her sleepily. "Ok?"

Elphaba looked at her. " _1837_ ," she repeated pointedly.

"I _heard_ you," Galinda replied irritably. "So, what? What do you want with old yearbooks?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "1837, Galinda," she said impatiently. "The letters?"

As it clicked, Galinda gasped and sat bolt upright in bed. " _Oh!"_

She scrambled out of bed and pulled on her robe, reaching for her hairbrush. "Oz, look how old they are!"

Elphaba nodded. Students weren't technically allowed to check out yearbooks, especially ones almost a hundred years old; but Elphaba had unashamedly sucked up to the librarian and begged to borrow them, claiming it was for a _Gazette_ article she was working on. The librarian had finally agreed she could take them, but only for two hours.

She explained all this to Galinda, who hurried went through her morning routine before sitting down with Elphaba once more.

"I know it's a long shot," Elphaba admitted. "We only have a few vague names to go on, but it's worth a try, right?"

"Sure," Galinda agreed excitedly.

They started with the yearbook for the year the letters were written, carefully turning to the photos of students and looking for any of the names that might be ones mentioned in the letters. Besides Ali and King, they had 'Jair', who seemed to be friends with King; and 'Wyn' who they thought was either Ali's friend or roommate.

Elphaba grabbed a notebook and jotted down every name they came across that might be relevant. But for the year of 1837, they only found one of the four- Jair Boggs, and three girls that might be 'Wyn'.

"What about Ali?" Galinda demanded.

"If she and King eloped, I'm assuming she left school," Elphaba said thoughtfully. "King was on a scholarship to begin with, and if Ali's family disowned her after the marriage…"

Galinda frowned. "That makes sense," she agreed.

They turned to the year prior, and there among the list and photos of first-year students, they struck gold.

"That's her!" Galinda squealed, pointing to a picture. "That's Ali!"

Elphaba looked more closely at the photo she was pointing to. "Alivia Benitz. You think it's really her?" she asked, feeling a spark of hope.

Galinda fetched the letters from her desk drawer and pulled out the sole envelope they had.

"Yes, look. Couldn't that be her? _A Benitz?"_

Elphaba felt oddly relieved as she realised Galinda was right.

"Alivia," she said. "So, if we're right about her being from a wealthy family…"

Galinda frowned. "Right. Benitz… the name doesn't sound familiar. But next time I write home, I'll ask Momsie and Popsicle," she promised.

Jair was once again listed, which left them only to identify Wyn and the mysterious King.

"I still think either Arwyn, Wyndea, or Wynter is Wyn," Galinda said. "I can't see any other names where 'Wyn' could be a nickname."

"Unless 'Wyn' has another reason behind it," Elphaba pointed out. "Don't forget, Fiyero calls me 'Fae' and if that's all you had to go on, would you assume it was me?"

"No," Galinda admitted. "I'm going to keep looking for King."

Elphaba nodded. "I'll look through the last book. I don't think it'll be useful, though."

They sat in silence for a while. Galinda had likewise started making a list of names of students from the 1836 yearbook that could be King, and Elphaba looked through the other two. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, but she had a nagging feeling they must be missing something.

This was the only lead they'd had in the month since they'd found the letters, and she was determined that there must be answers here. This couldn't be a dead end.

"Galinda," Elphaba said suddenly, looking up at her roommate. "Could I see the letters again for a moment?"

Galinda handed them over without even glancing at her. Elphaba picked through the letters until she found the one she was searching for.

 _23_ _rd_ _October 1837_

 _Eshgham,_

 _Your letters make my day, you know that? I never thought I'd be so happy to hear the gossip from Shiz._

 _Bibi's funeral was this morning. It was actually a beautiful ceremony, but it feels real now. She's really gone. Maman has taken to her bed since we got home, and Laleh, Jam and I have been dealing with all the neighbours bringing by food. I know they mean well, but it's weighing on us all, so I've hidden myself away in the studio to write to you._

 _So, you and Wyn are thinking of joining the yearbook staff? I think you'd be great for that. Wyn is the most organised person I know, and you have great ideas. And I'm glad that you're keeping busy. In fact, I'm rather envious of you, in fact._

 _I appreciate Jair's letters, but he's not much of a letter writer. The longest one I've got from him so far was two paragraphs, I think._

 _Anyway, we haven't heard back from Shiz yet, about whether I'll be able to go back to school next semester. I'm hopeful though. Headmaster Spatts has always liked me._

 _Sarin is doing well. She's already going crazy on bed rest, but her blood pressure has stabilised, according to the doctor. We're all thankful for that, at least. She's got ten more weeks until the babies are due and then I'll be an uncle again._

 _I hope you have fun at the dance next weekend. I wish I could be there to escort you. I am honestly glad you're having fun, eshgham. There's no reason for you to put your life on hold because I'm not there._

 _I've been working again. Trying to keep busy, I suppose. Trying to do something to honour Bibi's memory, but it's not coming along very well. Suffice it to say that I'm not feeling particularly inspired at the moment. But then again, you've always been my muse, haven't you?_

 _I love you, and I miss you. I hope to hear from you soon, and hopefully my next letter will contain better news._

 _Until the end of time,_

 _Your King._

Until now, none of them had found anything significant in that letter. They had mainly focused on the news that King's grandmother had died.

But now Elphaba flicked through the pages of the yearbook for that year, stopping when she came to a photo of the yearbook staff for that year.

"Galinda."

"Hmm?"

"I think 'Wyn' is Wynter Ames."

Galinda's eyes widened. "What? Why do you think so?"

Elphaba handed her the letter. "Look here. King mentions that Wyn and Ali were thinking of joining the yearbook staff. So, I found a picture of the yearbook staff for that year- which includes Wynter."

Galinda grabbed the book from her to look more closely. "And she's the only option?"

"I think so. I can't be entirely certain, of course. But it's our best theory so far."

Galinda was beside herself with excitement. "Elphie, that's amazing! We've found almost everyone!"

Elphaba laughed slightly. "I mean, Alivia and Jair are the only definite ones, I think. Wynter is our best guess… have you gotten any leads on King?"

Galinda's face fell slightly. "No. I've got a list… anyone with King in their name I could find. But no one that seems like a strong possibility."

Elphaba checked the time. "I have to get these books back to the library soon."

Galinda wasn't listening, she was looking at the picture of Alivia in the yearbook again. "She looks just like I imagined her, you know? I hope her family came around and realised how happy King makes her."

That was also the small problem that, Elphaba realised, they really had no more information than before. They had names, yes, but there was still the question- where did they go from here?


	19. Chapter 19

**AN. I think you're going to like this chapter :)**

 **Chapter 19**

Fiyero thought it was a brilliant idea that Elphaba had thought to look through the old yearbooks, even if Elphaba didn't.

"In hindsight, it seems so obvious I can't believe it took me so long to think about it," she complained.

Fiyero and Nessa thought it was very interesting that they had names for at least most of the people mentioned, although Nessa had agreed with Elphaba that it didn't seem like very much in the longer run.

"It's more than we had before," Fiyero pointed out, when Elphaba filled them in over lunch that day in the dining hall.

"But it doesn't give us any leads or information as to what happened," Elphaba replied. "Alivia isn't in the yearbook for the next year, so she definishly didn't come back after they married. And we still don't know who King is."

It was now Elphaba who was obsessing over the letters, instead of Galinda. Although, instead of obsessing over what happened to them, she was obsessing over how to find out more information.

She pushed away her empty plate and got to her feet.

" _Now_ where are you going?" Nessa asked her sister.

Elphaba sighed tiredly. "I'm going to go through the _Gazette_ archives and see if I can find anything."

"Fae, really? There'll be a thousand issues to go through," Fiyero argued with her.

"I know," Elphaba agreed. "But it's another stupidly obvious idea I should have thought of already, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to try."

Fiyero smiled at her fondly. "Shall I come drag you out for dinner, so you don't forget to eat?"

Elphaba paused. "Yes," she said a little sheepishly.

Fiyero laughed. "Six?"

"Seven," she countered, bending to kiss him before hurrying away with a mere wave to Nessa.

Fiyero turned back to Nessa with a soft smile on his face.

"What?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Nothing. I just… I kind of adore your sister, you know?"

Nessa beamed at him. "I've noticed."

Fiyero grinned unashamedly.

"How do you feel about meeting our parents on Sunday?" Nessa asked him.

Fiyero grimaced a little. "I haven't done it before," he admitted, although that was not news to Nessarose. "But Fae doesn't seem worried."

He raised an eyebrow. "You have any tips? Advice? Things I should know?"

Nessa looked thoughtful. "Well, Papa is rather over protective of Elphaba. Of both of us, really, but… well, you're dating Elphaba," she laughed slightly.

Fiyero grinned a little. "Right. Why is that?" he asked her. "I mean, Fae's told me about what it was like before your father married your stepmother. It's just- it's hard to understand how it all changed."

Nessa hesitated. "I was only about six at the time," she said slowly. "It's hard to remember what it used to be like now, and I wasn't told much at the time."

Fiyero nodded. "Sure."

"But," she continued. "I suppose it all happened around the time Fabala broke her arm."

He frowned. "Her arm? She fell down some stairs, right?"

Nessa winced. "Not exactly. More like she was pushed. Or tripped, I'm not exactly sure."

Fiyero stiffened. " _Pushed?"_

"Kids at school," Nessa explained. "Children can be horrendible, you know."

Fiyero's heart sank. "Yeah, I know," he said quietly. "But what does that have to do with your father?"

Nessa considered her words carefully. "Papa hurt Elphaba a lot. Not physically," she hastened to add. "But he did. I don't really know what happened to change things- I don't think even Elphaba knows. It was almost like he just woke up one day and realised how wrong he'd been. I don't think I ever questioned why things were different," she admitted.

"I was just happy that they were."

Fiyero nodded. "Sure."

"I think since Papa realised what he'd done, he's spent every moment since trying to make it up to her. As well as making sure that Fabala never gets hurt again. By anyone," she said firmly, meeting Fiyero's gaze directly and lifting her chin ever so slightly.

Fiyero's eyes darkened with understanding.

"Nessa, I have no intention of hurting Elphaba," he said gently.

"I don't think you do," Nessa agreed. "But you'll need to convince Papa of that."

She told him more about what she remembered of their childhood, and Fiyero was rather amazed by the different tone in her memories compared to what Elphaba had told him. At least, in the memories before Annalie arrived.

Exactly at seven o'clock that evening, Fiyero arrived at the _Gazette_ office and headed back to the archives in search of Elphaba. There, under a dim light, she sat cross legged on the floor, surrounded by old newspapers covered in protective plastic sheets. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun on top of her head, and she'd shed her coat and the cardigan she wore over her sleeveless dress.

"Hey," he greeted her softly. "Any luck?"

She looked up at him, shaking her head tiredly as she took off her glasses. "No. I've read every paper from September to November cover to cover, and nothing. I've just gotten to December."

Fiyero eased himself down onto the floor beside her, shedding his own coat.

"It's warm in here," he commented.

"Yeah," Elphaba said distantly, reaching for another pile of papers.

Fiyero reached over and gently took her glasses from her, placing them out of her reach so she had to look at him.

"What?" she asked, puzzled.

Fiyero reached for her left hand, gently entwining their fingers.

"I was talking to Nessa after you left," he said.

"Hmm?" Elphaba replied, absently scanning the front page of an issue from December of 1837.

Fiyero raised her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of her hand.

"She told me about how you broke your arm."

Elphaba stilled. "Oh," she sighed, looking up from the paper. "Right."

He kissed the inside of her wrist lightly. "I'm sorry."

She chuckled as Fiyero began to kiss his way up her bare arm. "What? You're going to kiss it better twelve years later?" she asked in amusement as he reached her elbow.

Fiyero grinned. "Worth a try."

He reached the tip of her shoulder, and then hesitated. Elphaba seemed to be holding her breath, and the air around them thickened. Fiyero glanced at the side of her face that he could see, and then ever so slowly, lowered his lips and kissed the bare skin above the neckline of her dress.

Elphaba's breath hitched, and he paused.

"Is this ok?" he murmured.

She nodded, and he kissed her again, up her neck and across her jaw to her mouth. Elphaba slipped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. The newspapers forgotten, Fiyero pulled her closer, so she was sitting on his lap. He slid one of his hands up into Elphaba's hair, which seemed to be one of his favourite spots.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured hoarsely when he at last pulled away. "Fae, I- "

He exhaled slowly, running a thumb over her cheekbone.

"I never want to hurt you," he said softly. "I'm never going to hurt you."

Elphaba's face softened, leaning into his touch. "Yero, the odds of that- "

"I know," Fiyero cut her off. "I know. But I promise you, Fae. I will never _intentionally_ hurt you," he vowed solemnly.

Elphaba smiled and she kissed him gently.

"My father's going to like you."

Fiyero's face broke into a grin. "No, he's not," he laughed and Elphaba laughed too.

"Eventually," she amended, tightening her arms around his neck and sliding her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. "He'll like you eventually," she promised.

Fiyero drew her lips to his once more.

The Sunday afternoon prior to her birthday found Elphaba and Nessa waiting impatiently at the front gates of the school for their family to arrive. It was the first warm day they'd had in months, warm enough that Elphaba had shed her coat in favour of a light jacket. Nessa wasn't _that_ warm.

Fiyero was waiting with them, trying to pretend that he was in no way nervous about meeting his girlfriend's parents. Thankfully, he was able to find some amusement in Elphaba.

"I haven't seen you this excited since there was that book sale the other week," he told her.

Elphaba laughed. "I'm happy," she said simply. She squeezed his hand. "You ok?"

"Sure," Fiyero said unconvincingly.

He'd never met a girlfriend's parents before. He couldn't shake the feeling that Elphaba's father would take one look at him and somehow know that he had spent a solid forty-five minutes the night before in his suite with Elphaba blissfully exploring every inch of exposed emerald skin, mentally cataloguing each spot that elicited a reaction from her as he lightly traced patterns with his fingertips and lips.

When he told that to Elphaba however, at a safe distance from where Nessa sat watching for the carriage so that she couldn't overhear, Elphaba only laughed at him.

"As far as I'm aware, my father cannot read minds," she reassured him, her eyes sparkling as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You know, I wouldn't be so quick to laugh at me," he warned her.

She cocked her head slightly. "Oh? Why not?"

Fiyero grinned and lowered his head, pressing his lips to her pulse point in her neck, which drew a murmur from her lips.

"You know, this doesn't feel like much of a deterrent," she said faintly.

Fiyero chuckled against her skin and felt her shiver, kissing the spot again and grazing it lightly with his teeth.

Elphaba pulled away, her eyes darkening. "You've made your point," she allowed, shooting a warning glance in Nessa's direction.

Fiyero grinned and brushed her hair back behind her ear, taking no small amount of pleasure in seeing her visibly flustered.

"Shut up, or I _will_ tell my parents about last night," she warned him.

Fiyero sincerely doubted that, but obediently bit back a smile, whistling cheerfully as he headed back over towards Nessarose.

"Oh, they're here!" Nessa cried excitedly, pointing as a carriage turned into sight. "Fabala, they're here!"

Fiyero squinted at the carriage. "How does she know?" he asked Elphaba.

She shrugged. "Nessa has good eyes. If she says it's them, I believe her."

A small figure appeared out the window, waving frantically at them. Elphaba laughed, and Fiyero realised the figure must be their brother.

"That's also a good indicator," she said, turning to Fiyero.

She placed her hands on his shoulders.

"It's going to be fine," she told him firmly. "Just- be yourself."

Fiyero rolled his eyes at her, but she smiled gently. "The real you. The you I get to see," she said quietly.

Fiyero could have kissed her in that moment, but the carriage was getting closer. Instead, he caught her hand in his and squeezed it softly.

The moment the carriage came to a stop, the door flung open and Tomaz jumped out. Annalie and Frex followed him out, and Nessa wheeled herself forward eagerly to greet them. Fiyero hung back and watched as the girls greeted their family. Tomaz appeared reluctant to let his sisters hug him, but he didn't move far from their sides once they'd let him go. Annalie hugged them both tightly, speaking quietly.

Fiyero watched as Elphaba turned from Annalie to her father, noting the warm smile on both their faces as he hugged her. Elphaba said something to him, and his eyes flickered to Fiyero, who instinctively straightened. Elphaba spoke again to her father, her smile gone now which drew Frex's gaze back to his daughter as she spoke to him solemnly. Finally, he nodded and Elphaba looked satisfied.

She turned to Fiyero and beckoned minutely. Fiyero straightened his shoulders, took a breath and headed over to Elphaba, who now looked rather nervous herself to his eyes. As he reached her side, he discreetly slipped his hand into hers, although it didn't go unnoticed by Frex or Annalie.

Elphaba cleared her throat. "Um, Papa, Anna, this is Fiyero. These are my parents, Frexspar and Annalie. And Tomaz, my brother."

Fiyero nodded towards Frex and Annalie. "Hello, Governor Thropp, Mrs Thropp. It's nice to meet you."

Annalie smiled warmly, offering him her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Your Highness. We've heard a lot about you from the girls."

Fiyero shook her hand, his shoulders easing somewhat. "Please, it's just Fiyero," he corrected her.

"Fiyero," Annalie repeated. "Tom, say hello," she instructed her son.

Tomaz scuffed his shoe on the ground, glancing up at Fiyero.

"Hey," he said nonchalantly, clearly trying to appear cool and disinterested.

Fiyero bit back a grin, even as Annalie rolled her eyes and Nessa tried to stifle a giggle.

"Hey," he replied, just as nonchalantly.

Elphaba, beside him, muttered something under her breath that he didn't catch. But Tomaz looked rather pleased with himself.

It took a moment for the Governor to extend his own hand to Fiyero, and he wondered if Annalie had nudged her husband to do so.

"Do you want a tour?" Nessa offered, once Frex and Fiyero had exchanged brusque greetings. "We've still got plenty of time before our dinner reservation."

"Oh, but I'm starving," Tomaz whined.

"Oh, as if Nikita didn't send a basket of food along with you for the ride," Elphaba chided her brother. "How hungry could you possibly be?"

"Well, _I'd_ like a tour," Annalie spoke up. "I want to see the _Gazette_ office, and Elphaba's new dorm room."

"Neither place is that interesting, but we can show you," Elphaba agreed.

Fiyero wasn't sure if he should tag along on the tour, or just meet them later for dinner, but Elphaba's tightening grip on his hand gave him the answer before he could even ask her the question.

They went to the _Gazette_ office, which was empty and locked on a Sunday afternoon, but Elphaba still pointed out the direction of her desk as Annalie peered through the window. Of course, nothing much about campus was new since they had been there in September, but now Elphaba and Nessa had stories about the different spots they passed.

In the end, Elphaba only took Annalie up to see her new dorm. She wasn't expecting Galinda to be there, but she was, lounging on her bed with a pile of magazines.

"Oh, hi," she greeted Elphaba.

"Hi. Annalie, this is Galinda Upland. Galinda, this is Annalie, my stepmom."

Galinda jumped up from the bed lightly. "Hello," she greeted Annalie. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Annalie replied politely. "Sorry for barging in, but I wanted to see Elphaba's new dorm room," she explained apologetically.

"Oh, sure," Galinda said agreeably. "Don't mind me."

It was a quick tour, even with the extra space there wasn't much to see.

Although, Annalie embarrassed Elphaba when she thanked Galinda for inviting Elphaba to be her roommate.

" _Really,_ Anna?" she demanded, but Galinda giggled.

"It was my pleasure," she said to Annalie. "Pinar is _awful._ And rooming with Elphie has been fun actually."

Elphaba and Annalie exchanged looks of surprise, Elphaba at being described as "fun" and Annalie at the "Elphie" nickname. Evidently, Elphaba had neglected to mention that.

"Well, I'm glad," Annalie said warmly.

Elphaba turned to Galinda on an impulse.

"Did you want to come to dinner with us?" she asked her roommate. "Fiyero's coming, and some of Nessa's friends."

If Galinda was surprised at the invitation, she hid it well. "That sounds wonderful," she accepted.

The restaurant where they were having dinner, _Willowbranch,_ was a buffet restaurant which was the very reason Fiyero liked it and had suggested it. It was popular with groups and families, which is why Elphaba had agreed it was a good idea.

As they walked into town, Fiyero found himself walking alongside Annalie. Elphaba was ahead of him talking about something with her father and brother; while Nessa was with Galinda and her friends Salmythe and Norfina.

"You and Elphaba have been dating for how long now?" Annalie asked him.

"Two months on Tuesday," Fiyero responded immediately.

Annalie smiled at him brightly.

"You know, when I first met Elphaba," she said. "She was nine years old. She was this… tiny, slip of a girl who was skittish and suspicious of everything I said to her."

Fiyero watched Elphaba laugh about something with Tomaz, trying to picture it.

"She didn't trust me at first. She didn't trust _anyone_ , and every time something changed, I'd have to earn her trust all over again," Annalie told him, thinking back over the years.

When she'd first arrived at Colwen Grounds, then when she'd first come back after being fired, and again when she'd started dating Frex. To their mild surprise, Elphaba had been fine when they'd gotten married. She'd had no trouble accepting Annalie as her stepmother and as part of the family, and she'd been fine when Annalie had adopted the girls. Annalie couldn't have imagined an easier transition.

That is, until Annalie had gotten pregnant with Tomaz. In hindsight, it was easy to see that Elphaba had been worried that with a baby of her own, it would change Annalie's relationship with her and Nessa. Annalie and Frex had tried their best to reassure the girls throughout the pregnancy that nothing would change, but the more Annalie's pregnancy progressed, the more Elphaba withdrew into herself.

It wasn't until the third trimester Frex realised that Elphaba was also thinking about her mother and Nessa's birth. Thankfully, it had all ended well. Elphaba had fallen in love with her baby brother the moment she saw him, and within weeks, was back to her old self.

"She trusts more easily now than she used to, but she's still a very cautious person," Annalie told Fiyero now. "However, I think she trusts you. I need you to understand what that means."

Fiyero's chest clenched slightly, as she fixed her gaze on him solemnly. Although he knew they weren't biologically related, there was something very reminiscent of Elphaba in her gaze.

"I know she trusts me," Fiyero said, still watching Elphaba. "I knew it the first time she let me read a piece of her writing. I don't take it for granted."

Annalie regarded him closely, nodded slowly and then smiled. "Ok, then. So, Elphaba mentioned in one of her letters that you enjoy Economics?"

Fiyero wasn't really sure how to respond. "I don't know about enjoy. I suppose I understand it better than Politics," he said. "I've never really been a school guy… not that I have the option."

He grinned at her slightly. "I'm not as smart as Fae."

Annalie chuckled, her eyes glinting with pride. "Yes, the 'Fae' thing. I do have questions about that too."

Fiyero happily recounted the story of why he had come to call Elphaba 'Fae', finishing up as they approached the restaurant. Annalie found the story rather sweet, which Fiyero hoped was a sign in his favour. As they came into earshot, Elphaba caught enough of the end of the tale to piece together what they were talking about, and she only rolled her eyes at them both.

"I like him," Annalie announced to Frex as they stood at the buffet filling their plates.

Frex stared at her as though she'd just declared her fondness for brussel sprouts.

"Anna, you can't be serious."

"I am serious! And why not? Have you even said two words to him?"

Frex scoffed. "Yes. While you were upstairs seeing Elphaba's room."

Annalie raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what exactly did you talk about?"

"He asked how the journey was."

"And you replied 'fine' and left it at that?" Annalie guessed.

She chuckled at her husband's face. "Frex, darling. You need to talk to him. Get to know him," she urged. "You promised Fabala."

She put some salad on both of their plates and glanced back over her shoulder towards the table.

"Besides, even if you don't want to keep a promise to your daughter, you still need to talk to him."

"Why?" Frex grumbled, knowing he'd already lost. They both knew he'd never break a promise he'd made Elphaba.

Annalie smiled. "Because he's in love with her."

Frex gaped at her.

" _What?"_

Annalie nodded calmly. "It's quite obvious when you talk to him, but I'm not sure that _he_ knows it yet."

"And her?" Frex asked tentatively, as though afraid of the answer.

Annalie's face softened as she looked over her shoulder again, studying Elphaba carefully.

"Not yet," she said. "But I think she's on her way. You know Fabala, darling. She doesn't jump until she's sure of what's below."

Frex turned to look over at his eldest as Annalie continued to fill their plates. She was sitting next to Fiyero, watching as he chatted with Tomaz across the table.

Tomaz had not been impressed when the hostess had given him a children's activity book to amuse him as they sat down. Yet now he and Fiyero sat, poring over it together and laughing about something.

"Have you ever seen her smile like that?" Annalie whispered to him, handing him a plate.

Frex studied Elphaba's smiling face and his heart sank. "No," he admitted.

Annalie smiled sympathetically and placed her free hand on his back comfortingly.

"After dinner. Talk to him," she ordered him and then returned to the table.

Elphaba had been right in guessing that Tomaz and Fiyero would get along swimmingly, but even she would never have guessed that the key to them bonding would be a children's activity book. Tomaz had viewed it with derision when the hostess handed it to him, scowling fiercely at it. Until Fiyero had reached over and picked it up, asking "if you're not going to do these, can I?"

And thus, a friendship was born, apparently. It also helped that Fiyero also had the appetite of a ten-year-old boy, and Elphaba wasn't above nagging either of them to eat the vegetables on their plates.

"Fae, the whole point of a buffet, is that you don't need to eat stuff you don't like," Fiyero told her, just short of whining.

Elphaba levelled him with a hard stare, and Fiyero reluctantly ate a mouthful of broccoli, making a face at Tomaz that made him laugh.

"Elphie," Galinda said during dessert. "Did you tell your parents about the letters?"

"What letters?" Annalie asked in interest.

Galinda eagerly recounted the whole story of the letters and what they knew so far. Nessa chimed in with details that she forgot, or to explain things more clearly when Galinda got muddled in her excitement.

Annalie was almost as excited as Galinda about the story of Alivia and King, and the mystery it presented.

"Does the Benitz name mean anything to you?" Galinda asked her and Frex.

"I'm afraid not," Annalie said regretfully. "But a hundred years is a long time. If you're right and they were a wealthy family, they could have fallen on hard times. Many did during the Vinko- Munchkin War, or the Great Drought. Or all you need is for a family to have all daughters, and they marry out of the family name and die out."

Galinda's face fell. "Oh," she said. "But what about King? All we know is that he's a Quadling."

Annalie frowned thoughtfully. "What about student files?" she asked. "Would Shiz keep them in an archive somewhere?"

Slightly down the table, Elphaba lifted her head from where it had been resting comfortably against Fiyero's shoulder.

"Even if they are kept somewhere, would students be allowed to look at them?" she asked Annalie.

"I don't know," Annalie admitted. "It's just an idea."

She turned to Frex. "What do you think, dear?"

Frex, however, was watching Elphaba and Fiyero from the corner of his eye and not really listening to the conversation. Elphaba was wearing Fiyero's jacket over her own, rather regretting not bringing her coat now that the sun had gone down.

"Mr Tiggular," he said abruptly, drawing the attention of the entire table.

Frex rose to his feet. "I'd like a word, if I may."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed slightly. " _Papa."_

" _Frex,"_ Annalie sighed at his side.

Fiyero, however, looked unperturbed and merely nodded. "Of course, Governor."

He rose to his feet and followed Frex outside, leaving Elphaba to turn to Annalie slightly panicked.

" _Ima."_

Annalie moved down to sit next to her, taking Fiyero's vacant seat.

"It's going to be fine, Fabala," she consoled her.

Elphaba stared at her doubtfully.

"It will, I promise."

Annalie glanced around the table. Nessa was chatting away to her friends happily with Galinda listening in, while Tomaz had gone back to the buffet for more dessert.

"I like him," she said.

Elphaba's shoulders eased. "You do?"

Annalie smiled. "Yes. And do you know why I like him?"

Elphaba shook her head and Annalie squeezed her arm. "Because I see how much he likes you."

Elphaba flushed slightly.

Annalie looked around again and then leaned closer to Elphaba, lowering her voice.

"Sweetheart, you'll… be careful, won't you?"

"Careful?" Elphaba repeated, puzzled.

Annalie nodded pointedly. "Yes. You know… contracep- "

" _Annalie!"_

Elphaba groaned, running a hand through her hair. "For the love of Oz… Annalie, we've been dating for _two_ months," she stressed.

"I know," Annalie replied patiently. "And you're an adult. It is between you and Fiyero what you do and when you do it."

Elphaba gave a long-suffering sigh.

"I know I'm talking to the girl who gave herself her own puberty talk," Annalie continued, which made Elphaba laugh slightly.

"You've always been very matter of fact about your own milestones, I suppose is the best way to put it. I expect this to be no different. But I know you, Fabala. I know you won't let anyone push you or rush you into anything, so I'm not worried about that."

"Then what _are_ you worried about?" Elphaba asked warily.

"Nothing in particular," Annalie said. "I just know that you have plans and having a baby while in school or just out of it is not one of them."

Elphaba sighed. "Anna, I am not thinking about any of that," she reassured her.

Annalie looked at her knowingly, and Elphaba flashed back to Fiyero's earlier words about Frex somehow knowing about what they'd done the night before, and her face flushed.

"We're still just seeing where things go," she said lamely.

"Ok, but- "

"I promise, if it comes to that, I _will_ be careful," Elphaba promised her. "So, you can consider your parental duties accomplished."

Annalie laughed. "Good. Now, tell me more about these letters."

Elphaba reached for her drink, trying to peer out the window to see Frex and Fiyero, but it was too dark to see anything.

"What about them? Haven't Galinda and Nessa told you the whole story?"

"Yes. I mean, why you're so determined to solve the mystery."

Elphaba laughed. "I don't know if it's so much a mystery," she said. "Just… historical curiosity?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, really. Galinda and Nessa are all wrapped up in the love story, I think. Fiyero… I think he just likes to know things."

"And you?"

"I guess I like to know things too," Elphaba smiled. "But, I suppose I relate to King… whoever he is."

Annalie cocked her head. "In what way?"

Elphaba shrugged, reaching over and stealing some fruit from Tomaz's plate as he returned to the table.

"I don't know. There was a bit it one of the letters where King said something about… Shiz being a bubble. Wondering if their worlds were too different to make it outside of school," she said, not looking at Annalie.

Annalie knew immediately Elphaba wasn't thinking about social class or status.

"Sweetheart, you have two years before you finish school. So much can happen between now and then, you know my story," she reminded her.

Elphaba nodded. Annalie had been always very open with them about the fact she had planned to move to the Vinkus to teach with her college boyfriend, until her brother's death had changed everything.

"I would just relax, enjoy what you have and… see where it goes," Annalie advised her.

"Live in the moment?" Elphaba said wryly.

Annalie was a little puzzled but nodded. "Yes, I suppose so."

"Fabala?" Tomaz interrupted from across the table.

Elphaba turned to him with a smile. "Yeah, Tom?"

"Fiyero's pretty cool."

Elphaba's smile widened. "He is?"

Tomaz nodded. "Yeah. I hope I'm as cool as him when I grow up."

Elphaba groaned and turned to Annalie. "We can't tell Fiyero this," she said. "It'll go to his head."

Annalie laughed.

 **AN. Another step forward for the Fiyeraba!**

 **I don't know what I enjoy more in this chapter- Nessa and Fiyero's conversation, Annalie and Elphaba's conversation, Annalie and Frex's conversation or Fiyero meeting Tomaz. All for different reasons.**

 **What about you guys?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Frex and Fiyero returned shortly after, much to Elphaba's relief. They both seemed serious, but neither seemed unhappy, so Elphaba wasn't sure what to think.

She'd been telling Annalie more about the letters when Fiyero returned, and he'd merely squeezed himself onto Elphaba's chair alongside her, helping himself to some of the grapes she'd stolen from Tomaz.

"Did you mention that word we found?" he asked her. "The Quadling one?"

"Quadling?" Nessa's friend Salmythe turned around.

Elphaba looked around at her. "Yeah. We found this word we're trying to get translated. Do you speak it?"

Salmythe shrugged. "A little. My grandfather was Quadling," she explained.

"Was his name _King,_ by any chance?" Galinda jumped in eagerly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but Salmythe only giggled. "No, sorry Galinda."

Elphaba dug a pen out of her bag and scribbled it down on a napkin, as best she could remember it.

"Does this mean anything to you?" she asked, passing it down the table. "It may not be spelled completely right."

Salmythe squinted at it. "I- I never really read it, I just know the odd phrase from hearing it spoken. But it _might_ be… _eshgham."_

"Eshgham?" Elphaba repeated. "Do you know what it means?"

"It's what my grandfather used to call my grandmother. It means… like… _'my love',"_ Salmythe translated.

"My love," Elphaba repeated.

"That is _beautiful,"_ Galinda sighed. "How romantic!"

Fiyero said nothing, but underneath the table, entwined his fingers with Elphaba's.

Before Frex, Annalie and Tomaz left for the hotel after dinner that night, Elphaba made plans to meet Frex for coffee in the morning before her first class and then they'd have a family brunch before Frex, Annalie and Tomaz continued on to the Emerald City.

Once they were alone in their hotel suite and Annalie had made sure Tomaz was actually going to sleep, Annalie turned impatiently to Frex as he emerged from the bathroom.

"So?"

Frex sighed. "Annalie."

"Don't 'Annalie' me. You were out talking to him for twenty minutes. _Not_ what I meant when I told you to talk to him, though. I meant maybe asking him what sports he likes. What he does for fun. I honestly would have been happy with 'pass the salt'. How did it go?"

Frex paused, sitting down on the bed.

"He… I don't hate him," he admitted painfully.

Annalie laughed. "Could you say that again without looking so miserable?"

"I admit," Frex said heavily. "That I was wary of his reputation."

Annalie grimaced. "You asked him about it, didn't you?"

"Of course," Frex replied. "Elphaba said it was largely a façade, but I wanted to hear about it from him."

"And?"

"And he admitted there is _some_ truth to it. But then he said… he said it became obvious very quickly Elphaba wouldn't give him the time of day if he continued to 'act like an idiot' was how he put it."

Annalie thought she detected a note of pride in Frex's tone there.

"That sounds like Fabala," she smiled.

"I don't entirely trust him," Frex frowned. "If his reputation is truly a façade- even in part, I don't understand why that's necessary."

"Which would have been an excellent conversation to have with him," Annalie pointed out. "Or Elphaba. I imagine she knows, or at least has an idea."

Frex nodded in acknowledgement of her point. "Anyway, I think Elphaba was right," he admitted as he got into bed beside her. "There may be more to him than it seems, although I think a more thorough conversation is required."

He rubbed his face tiredly. "I think you're right. He does love her."

Annalie smiled sympathetically. "What gave it away to you?" she asked curiously. "Or was it just that I had already mentioned it?"

"No," Frex replied slowly. "I asked him why Elphaba?"

Annalie grinned and sat up straighter in bed. "Good question. What did he say?"

"That she was special. That she was unlike anyone he knew, and that he firmly believes it was fate that brought him to meet her. He called her his angel."

Annalie's heart melted at the response, and tears pricked at her eyes. " _Ohh."_

Frex looked at her exasperatedly and she laughed slightly. "Sorry. You don't believe him?"

"There was a sincerity in his tone," Frex allowed. "And I know a thing or two about Fate leading people into your life."

He smiled at his wife, although she saw the sadness in his eyes.

"Hey," she said gently, slipping her arm through his. "It's ok. They're not getting married, sweetheart. They're just dating. And her first love? That's a beautiful thing."

"She's so young," Frex said sadly.

"She's about to be twenty-two," Annalie pointed out. "Think about where _you_ were at her age."

Frex had been twenty-two when he'd proposed to Melena, who had been twenty at the time. But he was _sure_ that they hadn't been that young.

"What if she gets hurt?" he asked.

Fiyero had promised him that he'd never hurt Elphaba, although Frex didn't know he'd made the same promise to Elphaba. Like his daughter however, Frex saw the futility of making such a promise.

"Then she'll hurt for a while and then come away stronger," Annalie said softly. "You can't protect them from everything, darling."

Frex reluctantly agreed and they went to bed.

"He really called her his angel?" Annalie asked as they lay in the darkness.

"Yes," Frex replied. "He asked me not to tell Elphaba about it, though. I don't think he meant to tell me."

Accidental or not, it thrillified Annalie to hear it. But Frex didn't sleep well that night.

As arranged, he and Elphaba met at _The Wilted Rose_ at seven thirty the next morning. And Elphaba wasted no time asking what she really wanted to know.

"What did you think of Fiyero?" she asked him as soon as their coffees had arrived.

Frex paused for just a moment. "You were right," he told her. "There appears to be more to him than I first thought."

A small smile crept over Elphaba's lips.

"I look forward to getting to know him more," he said.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Frex sighed heavily. "I liked him well enough."

Elphaba's smile brightened.

"His reputation," Frex continued and Elphaba's smile faded somewhat.

"Papa, I'm _aware_ of his reputation," she said. "But it's not… it's not the real him."

Frex frowned. "Which part? All the schools? His dating history?"

" _Papa,"_ Elphaba almost begged. "Please."

Frex's face softened. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Fabala," he said gently.

Elphaba faltered.

"He hasn't said much about why he does it," she said finally. "But you trust my judgement, don't you?"

"Yes," her father replied without hesitation.

"Then… it'll be ok," Elphaba said simply.

Frex looked at her solemnly for a long moment and then sighed. "What's your first class this morning?"

"Philosophy," Elphaba answered, accepting the change of subject.

She spent most of the next hour telling him about what they were studying and the article she was finishing up for that week's _Gazette._

"And your writing class?" Frex asked her. "How is that going?"

Elphaba grimaced. "I haven't dropped it," she said, although he already knew that. "But I'm still not enjoying it. Nothing flows anymore," she struggled to think of the right word.

"Writing is _hard_ now, and it's never been hard. Unless I had writer's block," she amended. "I hate forcing it. It feels like work."

Frex was sympathetic but had no advice for her.

"Give it time," he eventually advised. "Maybe after this semester, when you won't be forcing yourself to write, you'll be more inspired."

"Maybe," Elphaba shrugged half-heartedly.

Elphaba checked the time and rose to her feet. "I should get to class."

"Alright," Frex agreed. "I'll see you later, sweetheart."

"Papa," she asked hesitantly, before leaving. "Would you mind- would it be alright if Fiyero came to brunch?"

Frex faltered, he had been looking forward to having a quiet family brunch, just the five of them. But he found himself nodding.

"If he'd like to come, he's welcome," he told her, rather resignedly.

Elphaba smiled knowingly and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Papa. I'll see you at brunch," she said and hurried away.

Annalie was pleased to hear Fiyero would be joining them for brunch, although not as pleased as Tomaz.

"Why is he so excited?" Frex asked his wife, as they left the hotel for brunch.

Annalie chuckled. "Apparently, Fiyero is cool," she informed him.

Frex grimaced. "Wonderful," he said dryly.

Nessa arrived just after ten o'clock, Elphaba and Fiyero not far behind her.

"Good morning," Annalie said warmly. "How was your class?"

"It was really fun," Nessa replied brightly. "We had to practise giving directions in Evian."

"Oh," Annalie said. "That does sound fun. Fabala?"

"We discussed the Dual Theory of Revolution," Elphaba told her. "It was interesting to hear about it from another perspective. I hadn't read about it in years."

"Oh right," Annalie said slowly, recalling Elphaba's three-month long philosophy phase when she was thirteen. "I remember that."

It hadn't been the first time she'd read about philosophy, but it was the first time the family had been treated to long winded lectures about philosophical theories over dinner.

It all came screaming back to Annalie now.

"Fiyero, what about you?" she asked him.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "He doesn't have a class today until two o'clock this afternoon," she informed them. "There's only two days a week he has class before eleven, and that's only because he has no other option."

Fiyero shrugged. "No one likes to have class at nine am, not even you, Fae."

"Yes, but I don't schedule my classes to avoid them," she replied amusedly.

Brunch was a lot more relaxing than dinner last night, possibly because there were less people but perhaps also because Elphaba knew both Frex and Annalie liked Fiyero- however reluctantly on her father's part.

They'd barely finished eating when Annalie pulled out a gift bag from beneath her seat and handed it to Elphaba.

"Here. Happy birthday!"

Elphaba accepted it with a smile. "You've given up wrapping gifts, I see," she noted, laughing. "Shouldn't I wait until Saturday?"

"No, open it now," Annalie urged her.

Elphaba obeyed, not sure what to expect. Usually, her family gave her gifts (books) relating to whichever topic she was particularly interested in at the time. This year, between school, the paper and everything else, she hadn't really had the chance to develop an interest.

Inside the bag were three books and three cards. Elphaba pulled out the front book, frowning slightly as she read the title.

" _The Dummies Guide to Surviving Law School."_

"That's from Ottah," Annalie explained. "One of the cards is from him as well."

Elphaba chuckled. "That makes sense," she said.

"He said it was either that, or a book explaining football," Tomaz informed his sister with a broad grin.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Ottah thought it was absolutely hilarious that she'd had to write about the game for the paper. Elphaba was just grateful Rais had learned his lesson and not assigned her anymore sport articles.

Fiyero took the book from her, flipping through it in interest. Elphaba glanced at him amusedly.

"What? I'm studying law too," he reminded her.

"You can keep that one," she told him dryly, pulling out the next book. " _Finding Your Creative Outlet."_

"We wanted you to have something to focus on besides school work and the paper while you're not writing," Frex said. "It's got all sorts of craft projects and other ideas. Anna wasn't sure if you'd like some kind of sewing project or not. So, we thought this was a good idea."

Elphaba smiled faintly, flicking through the book. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "It's great. I hadn't considered anything else," she admitted.

"I'm sure Galinda would appreciate anything you wanted to make," Nessa laughed to her sister.

Elphaba laughed a little too, but knew she was absolutely right.

The last book was revealed to be a book on Vinkun history. Annalie had a hint of smirk on her face as she leaned across the table towards Elphaba.

"You haven't really mentioned any special topics of interest lately, but I thought this was a good bet," she said teasingly.

Elphaba coloured slightly and said nothing, pulling the cards out of the bag to read instead. Fiyero was still flicking through the book from Ottah, and thankfully, didn't appear to have heard Annalie's comment- or at least it didn't seem he'd picked up on her implication.

Her father, on the other hand, had missed neither and the gaze he directed at his wife suggested he had not been aware of the reason Annalie had gifted this book to his eldest daughter.

There was a card from Ottah and his family, one from her parents and one from Tomaz and Nessarose. Elphaba thanked them all, replacing them in the bag and stowing them safely under the table.

"So, Papa," Nessa addressed Frex. "What exactly will you be doing in the Emerald City?"

Frex readily told them briefly of the meetings he'd be attending in the city, Annalie chiming in with the more fun things she and Tomaz would be doing during their stay.

After they finished eating, Elphaba and Nessa said their goodbyes to their family.

"Don't burn yourself out," Frex warned Elphaba as he hugged her goodbye. "I know with finals coming up, and the paper, and now this letter business…"

"The 'letter business' really isn't that much," Elphaba laughed. "But I promise, Papa."

She turned to Annalie. "Thank you for my presents, Anna."

Annalie kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you like them, sweetheart. Your father is right, though. Take care of yourself."

After she'd said goodbye to Nessa, Annalie turned to Fiyero.

"It was very nice to finally meet you," she said warmly.

"You too," Fiyero replied sincerely. "Fae and Nessa talk about you all so much."

Annalie squeezed his arm warmly, while Frex offered him a cordial handshake and a knowing nod. Tomaz hung back hesitantly for a moment, but when Fiyero offered him a fist bump, he reciprocated with a beaming grin.

Nessa seemed slightly downcast as they headed back to campus, but Elphaba reassured Fiyero this was normal whenever they left home.

"She'll be fine in a bit."

Elphaba paused and cleared her throat. "So, you survived your first 'meet the parents' experience," she said a little too brightly. "How do you feel? Did it scare you off?"

Her tone was light, but her careful avoidance of Fiyero's eyes gave her apprehension away.

Fiyero slid his arm around her waist. "Nah," he replied easily. "I'm not so easy to scare. Although, if anyone was capable, it'd be your dad."

Elphaba winced. "I'm sorry," she apologised.

Fiyero shrugged. "He's just looking out for you. He doesn't think I'm good enough for you, which is probably true, but he was decent. He's willing to give me a go."

Truthfully, Fiyero had been a little surprised, knowing what he did of Elphaba's childhood. He hadn't expected to warm to Elphaba's father at all, but the Governor's obvious love and concern for Elphaba had won him over.

Elphaba smiled softly, leaning into his side. "Who knew you were so good with kids?"

Fiyero chuckled embarrassedly. "I like kids," he admitted. "But like, your brother's age. Kids under five are exhausting. I like them once they can control bodily functions. And form sentences."

She laughed. "That's fair enough."

Fiyero grinned. "So, your birthday. What are we doing on Saturday?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I was kind of thinking we could just have dinner at the pub? You, me, Nessa… maybe Galinda."

Fiyero nodded encouragingly. "Sure, sure. Who else? Anyone from the paper you want to invite? Make it a real party?"

Elphaba wrinkled her nose. "I don't know," she said slowly.

"Less of a party, more of a… gathering?" Fiyero suggested tentatively.

She laughed. "I'll think about it," she promised him.

It took some convincing between Fiyero and Nessarose, but ultimately Elphaba agreed to invite Boq, Rais and one or two others from the paper to dinner for her birthday. When she invited Galinda, she also extended the invitation to Milla- and Milla alone.

"Shen-Shen and Pfannee are _not_ coming anywhere near my birthday festivations," she said to her roommate firmly.

"That's fair," Galinda agreed. Even she couldn't deny that her other friends were not remotely friendly towards Elphaba.

Saturday morning, there was a knock on the door at eight o'clock. Elphaba was awake, but not up and Galinda was still sleeping but stirred at the disruption. She groaned, mumbled something about "so early" and buried her head under her pillow as Elphaba sleepily pulled on her robe and headed for the door.

She opened the door and found herself staring at a bunch of purple flowers. "Whoa."

"Happy birthday!" came Fiyero's voice from behind the flowers.

"Yero…" Elphaba said softly, as Fiyero lowered the flowers and presented them to her with a small bow. "They're beautiful, thank you."

"They're gladiolus flowers," he explained. "There's twenty-two. One for each year of your life."

Elphaba beamed at him. "They're beautiful," she repeated.

Fiyero moved forward and kissed her gently, cupping her face in one hand which slid up into her sleep tangled braid, his other hand wrapping around her waist.

Elphaba leaned into the kiss, the flowers pressed between them and her hands resting on his chest. She drew a breath as he kissed her slowly and deeply, pressing her against the door frame. They completely forget where they were until something hit her in the back of her head and she jerked away with a gasp.

She turned to see Galinda sitting up in bed glaring at them, her pillow laying at Elphaba's feet.

" _Hey,"_ the blonde said fiercely. "You guys are _very_ sweet, but it is _eight in the morning_ on a _Saturday;_ and _some_ of us are depressingly single. Ok?"

Elphaba's face warmed and Fiyero laughed quietly.

"Sorry, Glin," he apologised.

"You had a date last night," Elphaba reminded her roommate.

Galinda waved a hand. "It was a date to _The OzDust,_ it wasn't a _date,"_ she stressed.

Elphaba had no idea what that meant, and she looked back to Fiyero rather cluelessly, who only grinned.

"Get dressed," he advised her. "I'm taking you to breakfast."

"I'm supposed to meet Nessa-" Elphaba protested, but Fiyero waved her off.

"It's all organised, Fae," he reassured her. "Meet us downstairs."

He headed off with a wave, leaving Elphaba staring after him amusedly.

"I suppose I'm going to breakfast," she said, picking Galinda's pillow up from the floor and tossing it towards her. "Do you want to come?"

Galinda shook her head and lay back down. "No, thank you," she said, her eyes already closing once more.

Elphaba found the vase that had come with the first flowers Fiyero had gotten her and filled it with water in the bathroom sink.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Galinda's eyes were open.

"You guys _are_ very sweet, you know," she said.

Elphaba blushed as she put the vase on her nightstand.

"Thank you," she muttered, moving to her closet to get a change of clothes.

Galinda sat up in bed, watching Elphaba pull a burgundy dress from her closet. "I might come to breakfast, after all."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed slightly, a little wary at her sudden change of heart.

"Sure," she replied. "I'm just going to get dressed."

The day was bright and sunny, but it wasn't that warm yet, so Elphaba wrapped a white silk scarf around her neck before leaving the room. When she and Galinda came downstairs, Fiyero and Nessa were waiting for her.

"Happy birthday, Fabala!" Nessa greeted her, hugging her tightly.

"Thanks, Nessie," Elphaba replied, pulling her hair out from beneath her jacket. "Shall we?"

They had waffles at _The Wilted Rose_ for breakfast, and it was halfway through the meal when Galinda suddenly straightened her shoulders and pointed her fork at Fiyero, frowning.

"I don't buy it, you know."

Fiyero stared at her blankly.

"Buy what?" he asked her, shooting Elphaba a bewildered glance.

Galinda waved her fork in a circle in Fiyero's face. "Your whole reputation is a load of crap, isn't it?"

Elphaba snorted over her waffles and Fiyero cleared his throat awkwardly.

"What makes you say that, Glin?"

Galinda pointed her fork towards Elphaba, who was sitting next to Fiyero. "Her."

Nessa was sitting next to Galinda and opposite her sister and was watching with wide eyes.

"I watch you two a _lot,"_ Galinda said.

"Not at all creepy," Elphaba commented, taking another bite of waffles.

"And you're way too considerate for half the stories to be real," Galinda said, ignoring Elphaba. "You're not a cad at all."

Elphaba started giggling over her plate, and Fiyero glared at her.

"Galinda," he said patiently, trying to ignore Elphaba's muffled laughter. "Do you ever think it's possible that people can _change?"_

"Of course," Galinda nodded. "But it's the _ways_ you've changed."

Elphaba managed to control her laughter long enough to ask, "How exactly do you know the ways he's changed unless you knew him before he came here?"

Galinda ignored her again.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow at her expectantly.

Galinda finally lowered her fork to her plate. "You're just all dreamy and romantic. Like, you _met_ her _parents._ And you're not even sleeping with her."

Elphaba sighed and pushed away her plate, as Nessa almost choked on a mouthful of juice.

"This is not really how I envisioned my birthday breakfast going," she muttered, handing her sister a napkin.

Fiyero squeezed her hand lightly and turned back to Galinda.

"I don't really know what to say to that," he said finally. "But… thank you? I think."

"It was a compliment," Galinda confirmed.

Elphaba took her word on that.

Nessa and Galinda left them after breakfast, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero to spend the day alone together. Fiyero was determined to keep Elphaba from doing any kind of work for either school or _Gazette_ on her birthday.

"Even if that means sitting there while you spend four hours browsing the book store," he told her, which made her laugh.

They didn't discuss Galinda's comment, although Elphaba couldn't resist teasingly calling him a "cad" throughout the day.

"I hope you know," Fiyero informed her that afternoon, pulling her to him as they walked through the park and backing her up gently to lean against the trunk of an enormous oak tree. "That the only reason you're getting away with this today, is because it's your birthday. And after midnight, this _will_ be a punishable offence."

Elphaba tried to hide a smile. "Is that so?"

The bag of books she'd bought fell to the ground with a thud as he captured her lips sweetly, so her hands were free to slide around his shoulders.

"I don't think you get the concept of a punishment," she murmured between kisses.

"I'll work on that," Fiyero assured her, brushing his nose against hers before kissing her again.

Elphaba gripped the lapels of his jacket to draw him closer as he gently pulled away her scarf and dropped it to the grass so that he could access his favourite spots on her neck. That is, the spots that made her weak at the knees.

Fiyero slid her jacket from her shoulders and shed his own, easing her down until they were sitting on the grass against the trunk of the tree.

"You know I can't go to dinner with a hickey on my neck, yes?" she asked faintly.

"Fine, we'll skip dinner," Fiyero replied and she giggled.

He pulled back from her neck reluctantly, lightly running his fingertips up and down her bare arm. He paused for a moment and then sighed, moving so that she was nestled against his chest, his arms resting on her stomach.

It hadn't escaped Elphaba's notice in the last week or so that Fiyero's caresses and kisses were always contained to whatever amount of skin happened to be exposed that particular day. She wasn't sure whether or not to be touched or amused by this.

"So," she said finally. "It only took Galinda three months to realise you're full of crap."

He chuckled. "It only took you ten minutes."

"But that's why I'm special, right?"

Fiyero smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "One of the many, many reasons."

By the time they arrived at _The Hare and Turtle_ for dinner that night, Elphaba was thoroughly relaxed and had had a wonderful day. She arrived with Fiyero, Nessa and Galinda, who never quite looked comfortable in the pub. This still amused Fiyero greatly.

The reservation had been arranged for six-thirty, although they arrived about fifteen minutes late (thanks to Galinda). The only one seated at the table was Boq, who looked even more awkward in the pub than Galinda, as it turns out.

"Happy birthday, Elphaba," he said, pushing a wrapped parcel across the table to Elphaba as she sat down opposite him.

"Thanks, Boq," Elphaba smiled. "I'm glad you came."

Fiyero took the seat next to Elphaba, while Nessa's chair was arranged at the head of table where there was more space, next to Boq.

Galinda took a seat on Fiyero's other side, and Milla would then sit at the opposite end of the table, leaving Rais and Gyrtie to sit next to Boq when they arrived. She received a lot of books as gifts, but that was nothing uncommon in that.

She wasn't expecting to receive a book from Galinda, of all people, but it definitely was a book when Elphaba accepted the glittery, pink wrapped gift from her.

"It's a book," she remarked in surprise, feeling it as she peeled away the paper. "It's…"

"It's your very own copy of the Bible," Galinda beamed at her, filling in the silence as Elphaba opened the package and trailed off into speechless silence.

Elphaba lifted up the brand-new copy of _Like a Moth to a Flame,_ smiling weakly at her roommate.

"Thanks, Galinda," she finally said, not sure what else to say.

Fiyero presented his gift last, and Elphaba's first thought was that it was definishly the wrong shape to be a book. When she opened the box, she found a set of wooden bookends that seemed to be carved in the shape of a mountain range.

"I figured you have enough books you could probably use them," he said teasingly, and she laughed.

"Thank you. I could definishly use them," she agreed, kissing his cheek. "They're lovely," she said, admiring them.

They finished dinner, and then all went their separate ways. Galinda and Milla decided to head over to _The OzDust_ for a little while. Rais saw some friends across the bar and went to join them, while Gyrtie was headed to the library. Boq and Nessa were immersed in a conversation about crops or something as they left the pub, which left Elphaba and Fiyero to stroll back to school alone with her gifts.

"Good birthday?" Fiyero asked her.

She nodded happily. "I've got three new novels to read, the biography and a philosophy book. I don't know which to read first!"

"Not to mention the book from Galinda," Fiyero said, his eyes twinkling.

Elphaba grimaced slightly. "Her intention was good… I think. So for that, I appreciate it. I'll never _read_ it," she admitted. "But I do appreciate the gesture."

She tucked her arm through his as they walked. "The bookends are really lovely, Yero. Where did you get them from?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Just a place in town."

He drew to a stop, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "There... there was actually a second part I got you. But I didn't want to give it to you in front of everyone."

Elphaba frowned slightly, and he pulled out a little pouch from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Fiyero, you didn't need to get me anything else," Elphaba protested.

"I know," Fiyero said simply.

Elphaba set down the bag in which she'd put all her books in so that she could open the pouch. Inside, she found a simple silver bracelet adorned with a single charm- a plain heart with _E+F_ engraved on it.

She ran her finger over the letters gently, a lump in her throat.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

Fiyero's shoulders eased. "You like it?"

She nodded, lifting her eyes to him. "I love it," she reassured him.

"You can also add other charms to it, see?" Fiyero showed her.

"Giving yourself future gift ideas?" Elphaba teased him.

He grinned. "It definishly doesn't hurt," he agreed.

They returned to Elphaba's room and as Elphaba made room on her shelves for her new books, Fiyero flicked through the book Galinda had given her.

"What _are_ you doing?" Elphaba asked him.

"Just looking," Fiyero shrugged. "Can I borrow this?"

Elphaba stared at him in exasperation.

"What? _One_ of us should read it," Fiyero pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "Be my guest."

Fiyero grinned, kissing her lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Elphaba nodded. "Thank you for my gifts."

He kissed her again. "Night, Fae. Happy birthday."

And then he left, taking with him the dating guide and leaving Elphaba to wonder how she was going to explain _that_ to Galinda.


	21. Chapter 21

**AN. I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter! OMG you guys. You don't know how nice it was to write Elphaba celebrating her birthday where it's not a foreign concept to her and she's allowed to be happy.**

 **A few people asked about where I got "eshgham" from. It's a real word- it's "my love" in Persian!**

 **Chapter 21**

As they entered into May, most of Elphaba's attention shifted towards their upcoming final exams for the semester. Most of Fiyero's attention was skipping finals entirely and shifting towards plans for summer vacation, so there was much compromise to be made for how they spent their time.

The weather was becoming warmer every day and most students began to spend most of their time outside. The path that led from campus to town bloomed with flowers and the ice cream parlour in town experienced a flurry of activity, particularly on weekends.

Galinda, meanwhile, had not forgotten Annalie's suggestion about checking old student files for more information on who was behind the letters; but it was hardly Elphaba's first priority at the moment.

"Look, Galinda, I don't even know if students are allowed to look at the archives, or how far back the school keeps them," Elphaba said impatiently.

She'd overslept that morning and was now hurriedly trying to get out the door in time to grab some coffee on the way to her first class.

"I'll try and find out," she promised.

That afternoon found her in the _Gazette_ office, supposedly working on an article, but in actuality she was staring absent-mindedly into space. It took Boq three tries to gain her attention.

"Sorry, Boq," she apologised. "I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

Elphaba sighed, turning to face him. "If you wanted to find out information about former Shiz students, how would you do that?"

Boq frowned. "Uh… I don't know. Maybe Rais would know?" he suggested. "Is this for an article?"

"Something like that," Elphaba murmured, already scanning the room for Rais.

She found him over by Gyrtie's desk, debating which was a better sentence structure.

"Elphaba, what do you think?" Gyrtie asked her as she approached.

Elphaba's steps stalled and she held up her hands. "Oh, I can't comment without reading the article. I'm just here to ask a question."

Rais glanced up. "Elphaba, your editor is always right," he informed her.

Elphaba and Gyrtie both rolled their eyes and he grinned.

"What's your question?"

She asked him the same question she'd asked Boq, and Rais didn't even blink.

"Yearbooks?"

"Done that," she nodded. "I was looking for more. Someone suggested old student files, but I wasn't sure if students were allowed to see them."

Rais beckoned to her and walked away. Elphaba followed him over to a filing cabinet, where he pulled out a sheet of paper.

"If you want to see a students' file, you need to apply to Madame Morrible," he told her. "She needs to approve it, and well, she'll only approve a damn good reason. How old are we talking here?"

"The 1830s?" Elphaba replied, glancing at the form with trepidation.

Rais made a face. "There was a fire in 1872 in the administration building, so records pre-dating that can be a little sketchy. But it's worth a shot. Is this for a story?"

Elphaba hesitated, not wanting to lie to Rais. "I'm not sure yet," she said. "I'm just… following leads for now."

Rais nodded interestingly. "Alright then. Keep me posted," he told her and walked back to Gyrtie.

Elphaba took the form back to her desk, frowning at it. Most of it was easy enough to fill out- her name, the name of the student files she wanted to see and the year they had started at Shiz. But the blank lines under ' _reason for seeing files'_ weren't that easy to fill out.

"What do I even put?" she muttered to herself.

She sighed heavily and looked over to Boq. "Do you think 'returning lost property' is a good enough reason to see old student files?"

"What kind of lost property?"

"Old letters."

"How old?"

Elphaba's shoulders slumped. "A hundred years?"

Boq grimaced. "I don't know. If it was something valuable, sure. But won't the people be dead by now? It's not like they'll be looking for them."

The same thoughts had been going through Elphaba's mind, and if she and Boq were thinking along similar lines, she didn't think it was likely Morrible would think any differently.

Elphaba couldn't really imagine any excuse being good enough for Morrible if she was lucky. But it was their best bet so Elphaba filled out the form, listing _"research"_ as her reason and dropped it off at Morrible's office before she headed out to meet Fiyero after his last class for the day.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon and Elphaba basked in the feel of the sun on her skin. She loved this time of year, the promise of approaching summer just beginning to dance on the air. Summer wasn't her favourite season, it lacked the magic of autumn, but sunshine and warmth always lifted her spirits.

"What's your favourite season?" she asked Fiyero as they left the Economics building.

It was an unusual question from Elphaba, but Fiyero didn't miss a beat.

"Winter. It has Lurlinemas, my birthday and snow," he replied.

Elphaba thought she should have guessed.

"You?" he asked.

"I like autumn," she said.

Fiyero nudged her expectantly when she offered no further explanation. "Why?"

She shrugged. "The leaves changing. It's good weather to do something in the day and then curl up with a book and a blanket at night."

They got coffee from the coffee cart and then settled on a nearby bench, where Elphaba explained the form she'd filled in to hopefully look at the archived student files.

"What if Morrible says no? To the files?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Then you tried, Fae. Maybe we're just not meant to know what happened."

"Oz help me if I have to convince Galinda of that," Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Fiyero chuckled. "How about we go out to dinner tonight?" he suggested. "Some guy in my Econ class said there's that restaurant in town, _Idylliah?_ They have a rooftop garden they've just opened up for the summer."

"Isn't that going to be awfully busy if they've just opened?" Elphaba pointed out. "We have no reservation."

Fiyero rolled his eyes and pulled her to him. "You're forgetting something. Prince," he reminded her, pointing to himself.

He kissed her sweetly. "I'll deal with the restaurant, and I'll pick you up at six."

He was gone before Elphaba could protest.

"You don't _want_ to go to dinner?" Galinda frowned at her. "I hear the rooftop garden is supposed to be very romantic."

"I have no objection to dinner," Elphaba allowed, standing before her closet and trying to decide what to wear. "I just object to him playing the prince card."

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Elphie, this is what people with money _do._ You _have_ money too, you should know this."

"It's not _money,_ like your money," Elphaba protested. "It's only because of Papa being Governor. If he resigned tomorrow, we'd be living off his pension. It's not family money. Why do you think I worked for my Shiz tuition?"

Galinda frowned thoughtfully. Then she got off the bed and went to her own closet, pulling out a dress.

"Here," she said, crossing the room and handing it to Elphaba. "Try this on."

Elphaba took it, glancing at the label, although she didn't have to in order to know it was designer wear. Galinda wore nothing but.

"Galinda…"

"Try it on," Galinda urged.

"Galinda, I have clothes," Elphaba barely suppressed a sigh.

"I know," Galinda replied patiently. "I just thought it would look nice on you. It's long on me, but I wear it with heels. You could wear it with flats."

That was music to Elphaba's ear. The dress was a deep purple with thin straps, that wrapped around and tied at the back. It fell to Elphaba's ankles once she put it on, longer in the back than the front.

"It's perfect," Galinda declared once Elphaba emerged from the bathroom in the dress. "You should put your hair up."

Elphaba's hand went to her hair. "Up?"

Galinda dragged her over to the vanity. "Here. I'll help."

She chattered away happily as she piled Elphaba's long hair into an elegant bun high on her head, securing it with more pins than Elphaba could count.

"There. See Fiyero try and mess _that_ up," she declared in satisfaction when her work was done.

Elphaba's face flushed slightly, but she couldn't deny Fiyero's tendency to slip his hands in her hair.

She slipped on the bracelet Fiyero had given her and a pair of flat silver sandals. As she straightened up, she saw Fiyero approaching the building from the window.

"Yero's coming," she said. "I'll see you later. Are you going to the _OzDust_ tonight?"

Galinda sighed dejectedly. "No," she said glumly. "I've got a Sociology essay to finish. It's due tomorrow."

Elphaba smiled faintly, biting back the urge to suggest that perhaps she should have started the assignment earlier.

"Have a good night," she said instead, and grabbed her bag as she left the room.

She headed downstairs, figuring she'd meet Fiyero on his way up. But as she came down the last flight of stairs to the foyer, there was no sighting of him. Elphaba's steps slowed as she heard his voice drifting towards her.

"-You think I've forgotten what you did?" he was saying, his voice laced with anger. "Do you think it suddenly doesn't matter? You've spent a few months lying low, pretending to be sorry; and now you've decided people will just forgive and forget?"

"It was an accident!" came the second voice, and Elphaba's blood ran cool.

It was Pinar's voice.

Fiyero snorted. "No one with common sense believes that. Just because your father paid Morrible to sweep everything under the rug, doesn't mean everyone else has forgotten," he continued.

"I really _am_ sorry!" she insisted. "Truly, _truly_ sorry."

Her voice was sickly sweet and Elphaba's whole body was set on edge at the tone.

"But you _have_ to admit, you dating the green girl is odd behaviour, even from someone with… your scandalacious reputation."

"She has a name," Fiyero said tightly.

"Hasn't the novelty worn off yet?" Pinar asked, ignoring him. "Aren't you ready to sample some of Shiz's more _interesting_ offerings?"

Elphaba slowly came down the stairs as Fiyero scoffed.

"You have _no_ idea what you're talking about," he said coldly. "Elphaba is worth ten times of any girl I've ever met, and she's worth a hundred of _you._ Stay the hell away from her, and from me," he warned her.

Elphaba stepped down to where she could see the scene before her. Fiyero stood with his back to her, while Pinar was standing very close to him, her arm raised as though it had been resting on his shoulder and he'd stepped away.

Pinar's gaze drifted over to Elphaba and she smirked. Fiyero turned his head to follow her gaze, his eyes softening as he found Elphaba.

Pinar kept her eyes on Elphaba as she placed a hand on Fiyero's arm, who stiffened.

"When you get tired of waiting for Miss Enigma over there to put out, you know where to find me," she told him and then left, pushing past Elphaba as she went upstairs.

Elphaba's shoulders slumped as Pinar disappeared from sight and she rubbed her hand against her forehead tiredly.

Fiyero moved over to where she stood at the bottom of the stairs, slipping his hands onto her hips.

"Are you ok?"

Elphaba chuckled weakly. "I'm fine."

Fiyero's brow furrowed. "Fae."

"No, I really am," she insisted. "There's nothing new here. Pinar's a bitch."

Fiyero wasn't convinced and that was clearly evident on his face.

"Can we just go to dinner, please?" she asked him. "I don't want to talk about this, and I don't want her to ruin our night."

He nodded reluctantly. "Ok," he agreed and then frowned. "I don't get the _enigma_ thing."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Enigma like the apple," she explained. "They're green?"

Fiyero sighed and gently pressed his lips to hers.

"Let's go to dinner," he said.

The rooftop garden was every bit as romantic as Galinda had said it was. Lanterns were strung up around to light the area as the sun slowly set, and there were candles on every table.

Elphaba seemed unbothered by the incident with Pinar, she chattered away as they ate about the letter she'd received from Ottah that morning, complete with amusing stories about his children and some funny cases he was dealing with at work. It was Fiyero who couldn't stop dwelling on the matter.

When Pinar had first intercepted him as he entered the foyer, he hadn't been sure what to expect. And then she'd started talking. Fiyero didn't hate many people, but he _hated_ Pinar. And he hated the look he'd seen in Elphaba's eyes after she'd heard them, even though there was no trace of it now.

"Do you have any work or reading you need to do tonight?" he asked her after he'd called for the bill.

"Uh, no not really," Elphaba said.

"No work for the paper?" he pressed.

She frowned. "No… why?"

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

Wariness flickered across her eyes. "Ok," she agreed. "Where?"

"My suite?"

The corner of Elphaba's lips quirked. "Sure. Do we need to pick anything up first?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. He'd still made no move to fill his kitchen, which Elphaba found more than a little amusing.

They stopped by _The Wilted Rose_ for Elphaba to get an iced tea and Fiyero a milkshake and then headed up to his suite. As soon as they entered, Fiyero pulled her over to the couch and sat her down. Elphaba looked at him expectantly, sitting her drink on the coffee table.

"I want to talk about the thing with Pinar earlier," he told her.

Elphaba sighed. "Why?"

"Because… because communication in a relationship is as important as sunlight to a plant."

Elphaba stared at him blankly for a moment, and then one eyebrow rose. "Are you quoting Galinda's book?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes," Fiyero admitted.

Elphaba rolled her eyes but Fiyero persisted.

"There's a whole chapter on why it's important to talk about things. Even when it's hard, or awkward."

Fiyero had actually found the book rather interesting- the advice, at least. The writing itself left something to be desired.

Elphaba sighed again. "I just don't know what there is to talk about," she shrugged. "Pinar hasn't changed, and she's probably not the only girl who's thinking that. Even Galinda said something on my birthday, remember? Pinar's just one who actually said something to you. Your dating history isn't news to me, Yero."

She made to reach for her drink, but Fiyero stilled her hand, gently tugging her closer to him on the couch.

"Fae, what have I told you since the beginning?" he asked her soberly.

Elphaba sighed indulgingly, resting her arm on the back of the couch and around his shoulder.

"That I'm different?"

He nodded. "You're special. You're important. And, look, I'm just going to say it. Do I want to sleep with you? Yes," he admitted.

Elphaba's body tensed slightly beneath his hands, but he couldn't read her facial expression.

"But not until you're ready. Until _we're_ ready," Fiyero continued. "I love that we're still getting to know each other, Fae. I love that I still think about you all the time, and that I'm actually dreading this summer because I know I won't see you every day."

Elphaba said nothing for a moment, she didn't think she was able to speak. A thousand different thoughts were swirling around her head, faster than she could comprehend them. One thought in her mind was burning brightly and it flickered across her eyes.

"Fae? What are you thinking?" he asked her gently, grazing a thumb over her cheekbone.

Elphaba chuckled, her eyes shifting embarrassedly. "Nothing. Everything. Just- something Annalie once told me."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow in interest, a silent gesture for her to explain.

"Annalie and Papa dated for a few months before they told Nessa and I about it," she explained. "Nessa and I threw them a little party for their ten-year wedding anniversary last year. While we were planning, Nessa asked her why they told us when they did. Annalie said it was kind of a circular situation; that they knew it was time to tell us when they realised what they had wasn't insignificant. But at the same time, by telling us they knew it wasn't insignificant."

"Ok," Fiyero said, trying to figure out the relevance to them.

She smiled softly. "You keep saying that I'm important, and I- I hope you know that you're important to me too. And I was just thinking-"

"That what we have isn't insignificant," Fiyero finished for her.

She nodded tentatively, and he kissed her deeply. Elphaba kissed him back but pulled away before he could descend to her neck. Fiyero frowned slightly at the apprehension flickering in her eyes.

"What?"

Elphaba sighed faintly, brushing her thumb along his jaw line.

"I'm not ready-"

Fiyero cut her off with a tender kiss.

"I know, Fae," he murmured. "I know. I'm not going to pressure you."

"I know," Elphaba reassured him.

"I just don't want you to have any doubt," he said softly.

Elphaba smiled faintly. "That you want to sleep with me?" she asked.

He nodded, pressing a lingering kiss to his favourite spot on her neck, prompting the familiar involuntary murmur from Elphaba in response.

"So much," he mumbled into the crook of her neck.

Elphaba's nimble fingers slid into the hair at the back of his head, grazing against his scalp.

When he pulled back to see her face, her eyes had darkened in a way that made his heart skip.

"I've been pretty much going with the thought any exposed skin is fair game," he admitted.

She nodded faintly. "I have noticed that," she replied, looking faintly amused.

"Is that ok?"

Elphaba nodded and drew his head back to hers eagerly. The dress she was wearing presented Fiyero with skin that was unexplored to him along her chest and shoulders, and he wasn't going to waste his opportunity to explore it now.

As his lips moved to her neck as his hands crept upwards.

"Why are there so many pins in your hair?" he complained against her skin, his fingers nimbly pulling them out as he found them.

Elphaba laughed breathlessly. "Galinda," she explained, as her hair fell around her shoulders like a waterfall of silk.

As he lay her back against the couch cushions, something occurred to Elphaba. The similar flash of inspiration she would get with a new idea for her novel when she was stuck on a chapter. Out of the blue, but crystal clear as though it had been lurking in her mind since the beginning, accompanied by a hint of disbelief that she hadn't thought of it earlier.

She loved him.

The revelation took her breath away. Or that may have been Fiyero, as his lips grazed her collarbone.

"Yero?" she breathed.

Fiyero lifted his head instantly, worried he'd gone too far.

Elphaba tugged him forward until they were at eye level.

"Thank you."

It hadn't been what she intended to say, but it was no less true.

Fiyero frowned slightly. "What for?" he asked, a note of surprise in his voice.

She faltered for just a moment. "For not rushing me," she finally said.

Fiyero's face softened and he kissed her sweetly. "You're worth the wait," he replied. "It's like baking a cake," he added, much to her confusion.

"You don't take it out of the oven until it's finished baking."

Elphaba frowned. "Is that from the book?" she demanded.

Fiyero nodded, grinning as his fingers toying with the strap of Elphaba's dress.

"The book compares sex to cake?" she asked in disbelief.

"Hey, in the book's defence, they are both great," Fiyero laughed, lightly running his fingers along the neckline of her dress.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You don't even bake," she reminded him.

"What does that matter?" Fiyero asked, pressing a kiss to the tip of her shoulder. "It's not like your skill in one equals your skill in the other."

If it did, he was pretty sure he'd be a great baker.

Elphaba couldn't resist scoffing faintly as though she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"You bake me a cake and I'd sleep with you tonight," she said.

Fiyero groaned slightly, pulling her closer to him and kissing her deeply. "Holy Mother of Oz. don't tempt me Elphaba," he mumbled.

When Elphaba finally returned to her room that night, her hair out and lips still swollen, Galinda looked up from her Sociology essay and smirked.

"Good night?"

Elphaba only flushed a little. "Shut up," she said and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Despite her revelation that she loved Fiyero, Elphaba wasn't completely doubt free. Perhaps that was why she hadn't told him. There was a part of her mind that was hinging her relationship with Fiyero and its chances of succeeding long-term with the as yet unknown outcome of Ali and King's relationship. For what reason she didn't know.

It was two days later when Elphaba was summoned to Madame Morrible's office. She was under no illusions as to what it was about, and she'd been expecting it since Monday afternoon. She'd discussed it at length with Galinda, and they'd come up with a cover story to explain why they wanted to see the files, without actually mentioning the letters.

Galinda was worried if they told Morrible about the letters, she'd confiscate them to try and return the letters herself. Galinda was adamant that they did not allow that to happen. Elphaba had to agree. She didn't trust Morrible at all.

"Miss Elphaba, have a seat."

Elphaba sat down confidently, looking the Headshizstress directly in the eyes. Morrible had her application on the desk before her, and she merely tapped it with a single finger.

"Explain."

Elphaba squared her shoulders. "After our room was damaged in the storm back in March, Galinda and I found a mark in the old window sill, graffiti left by a former occupant of the room. We did some digging in old yearbooks to find who we believe wrote the graffiti. I thought it would make a good feature article for the _Gazette._ Most students can probably only name alumni who have gone on to achieve success. I want to shed light on the ordinary people."

Madame Morrible regarded her with a deep frown, and Elphaba waited for the expected refusal.

"This coming September marks one hundred and fifty years since Shiz first opened its doors to students," she said.

"There has been no official announcement yet, but there will be a series of special events over the academic year to mark the occasion. I believe your idea would make a good series for the _Gazette_."

"A series?" Elphaba echoed.

"The feature articles you've written this year have been well received, Miss Elphaba."

"Madame, I'm only going to be a second year in the fall," Elphaba said cautiously. "Surely, someone else-"

Morrible inclined her head. "There will be plenty of opportunities for other writers on the paper to create special pieces for throughout the year. However, as you approached me for these records, I thought it best to bring it up now."

Elphaba's heart lifted hopefully. "Does that mean I can see the records?"

Morrible nodded once more, reaching into a drawer and pulling out two files.

"These are copies, and not the actual files," she explained. "You may keep them. Some of them may not be complete, due to age."

The files she handed Elphaba were labelled with the names of Wynter Ames and Jair Boggs.

"What about the other one? Alivia Benitz?" Elphaba asked.

"The file does not exist," Madame Morrible said. "It may have been lost or damaged beyond repair with age, or if the student didn't graduate, the file may have been destroyed."

Following one short lecture on the importance of protecting private information, even when files were a century old, and Elphaba was dismissed.

She hurried immediately to the dining hall, where she'd promised to meet Nessa and Fiyero for lunch. On the way over to the table, she grabbed Galinda from where she was sitting with her friends.

"What is this going to tell us exactly?" Nessa asked curiously.

"I don't know exactly," Elphaba admitted. "But it can't hurt, right?"

The files actually did reveal some new information. They had known that Alivia had lived in the room that was now Galinda and Elphaba's, but as it turned out, Wynter had lived in the room next door.

"Hey, she's Vinkun!" Fiyero exclaimed, looking over Elphaba's shoulder at Wynter's file.

"Jair was Gilikinese too," Galinda said thoughtfully. "I wonder where he was from."

Elphaba was frowning at the pages and Fiyero nudged her gently.

"What is it, Fae?"

Her face cleared as she turned to him, smiling faintly. "Nothing, really. It's just… I know we've read the letters, and the yearbooks… but they're all starting to feel real to me now, seeing these files. And it's crazy that we now know more about Wynter and Jair than we do Ali and King."

Fiyero nodded. "That makes sense."

"It's not over," Galinda said firmly. "Momsie and Popsicle said they don't know anything about the Benitz family, but we have so many friends in high society and there'll be a lot of parties this summer. I'm going to ask around. _Someone_ must know something."

Elphaba agreed, but she wasn't terribly confident.

That night, before going to sleep, she pulled out the letters once more. She picked out the letter that she'd felt most connected with since they'd first read the letters- King's proposal.

 _7_ _th_ _November 1837_

 _My darling Ali,_

 _I've been thinking about the future. I have a lot of time to think these days._

 _Shiz isn't an option. The scholarship is gone, and I still have no chance of affording tuition without one. Maman is trying to convince me to apply for another one, but I don't like my chances. They've already given me one, and I quit on them. How likely are they to give me another, when I could walk away at any moment?_

 _I'm frustrated. I was_ _so_ _close to graduating. And then I feel guilty for being frustrated, in light of everything that's happened here. Maman and Bibi were so proud when I got accepted to Shiz. I was the first person in our family to go to university and I think they were hoping this would change our family's fortunes somewhat, having a university graduate among us. I feel I've failed Bibi by not going back._

 _But I keep thinking of the last conversation I had with her. It was the day after I'd come back from Gilikin, and I told her everything._

 _About you, about how much I love you. I told her every story I could think of, and when I finally stopped to draw breath, Bibi just smiled at me and told me that she was glad I was happy. I never told her what had happened at your home, and all my worries. But I think she knew._

 _She told me "Fate always has a plan, and it may not work in your favour. It may not be what you want. But the point of fate is that we're not meant to know what's coming; and we shouldn't let our fear of the outcome stop us from living our lives. From fighting for what we want."_

 _At first, I was too upset about everything that happened to think much about it. And then she had her stroke, and everything changed. But now everything has settled a bit, and I've been thinking about it the past few days. I think she's right._

 _I've been thinking about what to do now, what I want from my life. And what I want is you. To spend the rest of our lives together. Or however much time we get._

 _So, this is me fighting for what I want. Fighting for you. For us._

 _Ali, eshgham. Will you marry me?_

 _Regardless of your answer, know that I love you- until the end of time._

 _Always, your King._

 **AN. Pinar is still as pleasant as ever, you see! And Elphaba isn't totally different in this AU, you see. The pre-Annalie years have still left a mark on her, which you may see a bit more of later on.**

 **So, student files are a bust. Where do they go from here?**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN. I just want to apologise to the three (at least) people I have apparently ruined cake for, haha. It was not intended, but it is funny!**

 **Shout out to Fae'sFlower for being reviewer 350!**

 **Chapter 22**

Annalie hummed happily under her breath as she entered the house, returning from work one summer evening. She stopped by the study to greet Frex and then went in search of the children. She was loving having all her children home once more.

She found Tomaz outside in the back garden kicking a ball around, while Xia and Nessarose did her daily exercises on her legs. Elphaba, according to Xia, was helping Nikita with dinner preparations, but when Annalie entered the kitchen, she found her sitting at the kitchen table and absent-mindedly mashing potatoes.

Annalie paused in the doorway, and exchanged a glance with Nikita, who smiled knowingly.

"Tom won't eat mashed potato with any lumps you know," she noted.

Elphaba blinked, stared at the bowl as though seeing it for the first time. "Oh. Right," she said. "Sorry."

Annalie chuckled. "You got a letter from Fiyero today?"

Elphaba looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"Because you've been home for two weeks now, and every time you get a letter from Fiyero, you get…"

"Dreamy?" Nikita suggested amusedly.

Annalie laughed. "Distracted, I was going to say."

Elphaba flushed, suddenly very attentive to her task of mashing the potatoes.

Annalie exchanged another knowing smile with Nikita. It had escaped none of their notice that Elphaba had been quiet and dreamy since returning home for the summer. While once her dreamy state could be attributed to being lost in her novel, it had been Frex who had pinpointed it first.

"She's in love with him," he said to Annalie grimly the night the girls had come home.

Annalie had just nodded, her eyes shining. "Yes," she'd agreed.

Elphaba had said nothing about it to them, nor Nessa it appeared. Although Nessa did tell Annalie that it had taken twenty minutes for Elphaba to tear herself away from Fiyero so they could leave for home. Nessa had been torn between amusement and exasperation as she recounted the story, but Annalie was just amused.

"Galinda wrote today too," Elphaba said, trying to change the subject.

Thankfully, Annalie took the hint. "Did she?"

Elphaba nodded, her gaze still firmly on the potatoes. "Yes. Although she mostly wrote about the parties she's attended so far."

Annalie shook her head slightly. "I still can't believe you're going to be roommates with her again next year."

Elphaba chuckled, shrugging one shoulder. "She offered. And I like rooming with her," she admitted.

"We're friends… somehow. Although I don't know what I'll write back to her about. I doubt she'll be excited about my adventures in baby-sitting," she laughed.

"That's tomorrow night, isn't it?" Nikita asked her.

Elphaba nodded. She had agreed to baby-sit Ottah's kids the next night while he and his wife went out.

"Yeah. I'll head over about five to spend some time with the kids before Ottah and Melia leave. I bet Arvid's grown heaps since March, hasn't he?" she asked Nikita wistfully.

Nikita nodded proudly. Her youngest grandson was fifteen months old now, and the happiest baby any of them had ever seen.

"Growing like a weed," she told Elphaba. "So's Hallam. Make sure you ask him to sing you the alphabet song."

"He knows the alphabet song?"

"He knows the tune," Nikita laughed. "As far as the actual alphabet goes, he knows up to 'D' and then he just repeats 'A, B, C' until the end of the song."

Elphaba and Annalie both laughed.

"You'll have to tell Ottah about the letters," Nikita told her. "I've told him bits that I know from your parents, but he's dying to hear the whole story."

"I can do better than that," Elphaba replied.

Before leaving Shiz, she'd painstakingly copied out the letters for herself before leaving Galinda with the originals.

She made sure to slip the copies into her bag before leaving for Ottah's the following evening.

A beaming four-year-old Hallam met her at the door.

"Hi, Elphaba!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Hi Hal," Elphaba replied brightly as she stepped through the door and knelt down to his level. "Can I have a hug?"

Hallam threw his little arms around her neck and Elphaba hugged him tightly as Melia appeared in the doorway with Arvid on her hip.

"Hi, Elphaba," she greeted her warmly. "Thanks for this."

"Happy to do it," Elphaba replied immediately.

Elphaba didn't have much experience with children other than her siblings and Ottah's boys, but she truly believed Ottah and Melia had been blessed with the most adorable, easy going children in Oz. Baby-sitting them for an evening, especially when they'd be in bed asleep for most of it, was hardly a chore.

"Hey, little Fabala," Ottah greeted her cheerfully.

Elphaba hated this nickname at twenty-two as much as she had at ten, but she'd never been able to dissuade Ottah from using it.

"Hi."

"Congratulotions," he said, hugging her. "You survived one year at Shiz! How does it feel to be home?"

"Good. I have access to all my books again," Elphaba replied and Ottah laughed.

"That is obviously the most important thing," he said in mock solemnity. Then he arched an eyebrow.

"So, you're dating Fiyero Tiggular?"

"Obviously the most important thing," Elphaba mimicked him.

Ottah grinned. "Hey, as someone who's known you your whole life-"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Don't do that," she said tiredly. "Don't go all 'big brother' on me. Anna and Papa have met him, and Papa's made his feelings perfectly clear to Fiyero."

"Is he good to you?"

Elphaba smiled softly as she nodded. "He's my best friend."

"Well, ouch," Ottah teased her and Elphaba rolled her eyes once more.

Her night was as relaxing as a night can be when dealing with two energetic kids under five. She gave them dinner and tucked them into bed. Arvid went down easily, but she had to read six different books to Hallam before he finally succumbed to sleep.

The peace that settled upon the house allowed Elphaba to tuck herself up on the couch and read until Ottah and Melia returned from their night out at a function with Ottah's office.

"How was it?" she asked.

"Incredibly boring," Melia replied and Ottah nodded in agreement.

"I work with these people all week, and then we have to attend these stupid functions, and all they want to talk about is work," he complained.

Melia went to check on the boys and change, while Elphaba followed Ottah into the kitchen as he filled the kettle and lit the stove.

"Alright. Let me change, and then we'll have tea and Mom's banana bread, and I want to hear about these letters you've found," he told her.

Elphaba nodded, reaching for mugs from the cupboard next to the stove. "I've got this," she said.

The three of them settled at the table, where Elphaba told them everything. She let them read the letters, showed them the student files copies and told them everything they knew so far.

"That's such an amazing story!" Melia said at the end. "So, you still have no idea who 'King' is?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No. And we have no idea how to find out."

Ottah frowned thoughtfully, skimming the letters again.

"You should check the Hall of Records in the Emerald City," he suggested.

"How is that going to help?" Elphaba asked. "We have no name to search for."

"Yes, you do."

Ottah pointed at the letters. "You think these people- Ali and King, K, whoever. They got married?"

"They definishly had plans to elope," Elphaba nodded.

"Ok, so no matter how you get married, you need one thing."

"A marriage license," Elphaba said in realisation, her eyes widening.

"Which will have the names of the bride _and_ groom," Ottah nodded. "So, if you search the Hall of Records for Alivia Benitz-"

"We'll find King," Elphaba finished, her eyes lighting up. "Can anyone search the records?"

Ottah looked thoughtful. "After a certain point, all records become public domain."

He disappeared into his office and returned with a large book shortly afterwards.

"Here we are. Birth records are public a hundred years after registration. Marriages are eighty years, and deaths are fifty years."

Elphaba tried to do the math. "So, we should be fine on births and marriages. For deaths, they would have needed to die before… 1886?"

"Pretty much," Ottah agreed.

She beamed at him. "This is great, Ottah. Thank you. You're a genius."

"Of course I am," Ottah said modestly. "You should have come to me in the first place."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about Fiyero," she told him. "You'll get along just fine."

Melia's face lit up. "Oh, yes! I would like details on _that,_ please."

Elphaba chuckled. "Details?"

"How did you meet? What is he like? How did he ask you out? Is he a good kisser?" Melia demanded in a way that was almost reminiscent of Galinda.

Ottah pushed back his chair. "And I'm out," he said, retreating to his office.

Elphaba cleared her throat a little awkwardly and tried to answer Melia's questions.

She returned home half an hour later in a rush.

"Fabala, come talk to us," Annalie called out from the living room as the front door shut behind her heavily.

"Not now, I have to write to Fiyero!" Elphaba called back, dashing up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Of course. She can only manage to write home to her family once a month, but Oz forbid she go more than a day without writing the prince," Frex muttered from behind his book.

Annalie stared at him exasperatedly, and then went after Elphaba to find out what exactly was going on.

Elphaba filled her in hastily, even as she scribbled frantically away to Fiyero.

"What now?" Annalie asked. "You go to the Emerald City?"

Elphaba paused at that, lifting her head. "I- Maybe? I don't know. Could I?"

Annalie laughed. "Sweetheart, you're twenty-two. You can do whatever you want."

Elphaba frowned. "I don't know," she said again. "I'm just going to write to Fiyero, and Galinda. Tell them Ottah's idea. Galinda's the closest to the city, maybe she could go…"

Annalie squeezed her shoulder as she got to her feet.

"Just let us know your plans. And fill in your sister too."

"I will," Elphaba promised. "Is she still up?"

"She's in bed, but she's awake."

Elphaba grabbed her notepad and pen, hurrying out of the room and downstairs to Nessa's bedroom. Nessarose was immersed in a novel, but she immediately put it aside as Elphaba settled on the end of her bed to explain Ottah's suggestion.

"I never even _thought_ of looking for a marriage certificate!" she breathed excitedly.

Elphaba nodded. "I know," she agreed.

"So, do we go to the Emerald City now?"

Elphaba held up her notepad. "I'm going to write to Yero and Galinda, fill them in. Then we can make a decision. Galinda's the closest, she could go within a day. Does it really make sense for all of us to go?"

Nessa wrinkled her nose sceptically. "I can't see Galinda wanting to go looking through old records."

Elphaba smiled. "I think you're underestimating her desire to know what happened," she said. "But you may be right. Either way, I don't think it'll take us long to get a response."

Although mail from Gilikin was generally quicker than mail from the Vinkus, for simple geography reasons, Fiyero's answer came before Galinda's. It was only one sentence long.

 _So, when are we meeting in the Emerald City?_

Galinda's response was longer and much more enthusiastic, but her sentiment was the same. They must go to the Emerald City and follow through with Ottah's suggestion.

It wasn't quite that simple, however. Galinda had many social engagements planned she "simply couldn't get out of", including her own birthday party in July. Elphaba had made arrangements herself with Miss Shyla to pick up some work over the summer, to gain some extra money.

Trying to plan trips via letter was not the easiest task to begin with, but it was ultimately agreed that they would meet in the Emerald City on the first of August, more than a month away. Fiyero had volunteered the use of the luxury penthouse apartment the royal family kept in the city for the occasion, which they all agreed was much better than a hotel.

Galinda had suggested the end of August, so that they could head directly to Shiz from the Emerald City, but Elphaba had refused to miss Melena's birthday at the end of the month, although she hadn't told Galinda that.

The day all their plans were confirmed, Fiyero joined his parents for dinner with one idea clear in his mind.

"Hi, Yero," his mother greeted him. "How was your day?"

"It was good," Fiyero said lightly. "Caught up with some guys from school this afternoon. Remember Doruk? He just got engaged."

"Oh, that's lovely! I saw his mother last month, and she was hopeful it would happen soon," Kasmira said. "It must have been nice to see all your old friends again."

"It was," Fiyero admitted.

He'd grown apart from some of his old school friends in the past few years, as he'd shuffled between universities and they'd graduated and settled down into lives of work and, for some, families. But today had been great.

Naturally, his friends been curious- and perhaps a little surprised- that he was still at Shiz and doing well. Fiyero hadn't hesitated to credit Elphaba with the change in his attitude and had then had to tell them all about her. When he'd at last paused for breath, his long-time best friend Palo had grinned at him broadly.

"I always knew that one day you'd fall ridiculously in love, and it would be _highly_ entertaining for us to see. But this is even better than I imagined."

Fiyero rolled his eyes as his friends sniggered.

"This is why you've been replaced as my best friend," he informed Palo.

Palo had taken the news of his demotion quite well, by giving Fiyero the finger.

"You're not denying it," he noted, reaching for his beer.

Fiyero ignored him.

As Fiyero reached for the closest serving dish, he cleared his throat to draw his parents' attention.

"I got a letter from Elphaba today-"

"Oh, something different," his father said teasingly.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Yes. Anyway, we're going to meet up in the city for the first week of August. Is it still okay if we use the apartment?"

"Of course," Ibrahim nodded. "It's just sitting there. Makes no sense you all paying for hotel rooms."

Fiyero nodded, dumping food on his plate. "Thanks. Um, I was also wondering…"

He sensed more than saw both his parents pause.

Fiyero looked up at his parents and slowly set down his fork down. "I was wondering if it would be possible for you to come to the Emerald City while we're there."

Ibrahim raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You want your parents to come to the Emerald City with you and your friends? Something is wrong with this picture," he added to his wife.

Fiyero looked sheepish. "No. It's just… I want you to meet Elphaba," he explained. "I- I _need_ you to meet Elphaba."

His parents exchanged a glance.

"It's important," Fiyero said quietly.

Kasmira looked utterly delighted. "Yero, we'd _love_ to meet Elphaba," she said earnestly.

"We wanted to meet her back in January," Ibrahim said. "The fact you've talked about her incessantly since you've been home, and in every letter since you met her… that's just a bonus."

"Ibrahim stop teasing him," Kasmira said laughingly. "You said the first week of August?"

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. The first is a Saturday."

"I'll check our schedules in the morning," Kasmira assured him. "I'll see what day will work best. We won't intrude for the whole week, of course. We'll just come and meet your friends and take you and Elphaba for dinner."

"Why August?" Ibrahim asked his son. "I thought the point was you were all excited to solve this mystery?"

Fiyero grinned. "Galinda's social calendar takes priority," he replied. "And Elphaba's got some work to do."

"What kind of work?"

"Er, dressmaking? Seamstress… stuff? Is there a difference?" he asked his mother. "Anyway, she's working. It's what she did before Shiz."

Ibrahim looked impressed. "A summer job is a good idea," he said and Fiyero immediately regretted bringing it up.

"Dad, don't look at me like that. What kind of summer job would you have me do?" he asked practically.

Ibrahim chuckled. "Well, Yero. You've got what, five weeks, until you go to the city? What exactly are you planning to do in that time? Besides write to Elphaba?"

"I'm sure I'll find a way to keep busy, Dad," Fiyero said dryly.

Which he did, although writing to Elphaba was admittedly a large part of how he spent his time. The closer they came to August, the more impatient Fiyero became. Not to maybe, finally, learn what had happened to Alivia and King after they met to elope, but to see Elphaba.

He'd known he would miss her this summer, but he hadn't expected just how much. Any day that didn't bring him a letter from her felt twice as long, and when letters _did_ come, they made his day. The letter that arrived a week before he'd leave for the Emerald City was no exception.

 _Dear Yero,_

 _I'm free! Free from that horrendible, sweltering, airless room. I can't imagine now how I ever survived three years working there._

 _If I'm going to do this next summer too, I may need to take Galinda up on her "offer" for me to make things for her. I feel terribly out of practice._

 _Anyway, I'm done now. One blissful week to sleep in and lie about before we go to the Emerald City. Admittedly, I've never been very good at doing nothing- I've always been writing if I wasn't working. I had briefly wondered if being home and being back working for Miss Shyla would inspire me, but it hasn't. It just made me sad the first time I sat back at the machine and thought about the Gild/Wilke family and_ _their_ _sewing machine, and it was like losing the book all over again._

 _These past few months, it's been so easy to distract myself from thinking about it- school, the letters, you. But there's very little to distract you in Miss Shyla's workshop._

 _But while my mind is mentally making lists of what summer reading I could be doing in preparation for the forthcoming semester, I'm honestly going to try and do nothing this week. Except baby-sit Hallam and Arvid again tomorrow night, but that's hardly taxing._

 _I'm actually writing with an idea. Suggested by Papa, believe it or not. Papa and Anna would like to invite you to come stay with us after we're done in the Emerald City. Don't feel pressured to say yes, but I'd love you to come. Munchkinland is hardly the most exciting place in Oz, especially compared with the Emerald City, but I'd love for you to meet Nikita and Ottah._

 _Just think about it. I'll see you in about a week! I can't wait to see you and I'm really looking forward to meeting your parents. Would you believe I'm also looking forward to seeing Galinda again?_

 _See you soon._

 _Fae._

Fiyero sat down to reply immediately, figuring if he sent it by express it would just reach Munchkinland before she left for the city.

 _Dear Fae,_ he scribbled.

 _You doing nothing? You'll go mad within two days. I bet by the time you get this, you've already given up on that idea._

 _You know, most guys would be offended at the thought of being a mere distraction; but I am willing and eager to distract you when needed, Miss Elphaba._

 _I'd love to come back to Munchkinland with you, Fae. Thank your parents for the invitation for me, please. I can't wait to see you, so I'm willing to pretend that you actually_ _are_ _looking forward to meeting my parents._

 _I hope this reaches you before you leave. I'm sending it express, so it should. I miss you, Fae. See you soon._

 _Yero._

He'd already sent the letter before he even mentioned it to his father the next day, who looked more amused than surprised.

"Will you stay until school goes back?" was his only question.

Fiyero shrugged. "We didn't really discuss dates. I'll ask her when I see her."

Ibrahim leaned back in his desk chair, regarding his son as he lay sprawled on the loveseat on the other side of the room.

Then Ibrahim sighed and got to his feet, pouring two glasses of scotch from a cabinet next to his desk. He carried the glasses across the room and handed one to Fiyero, who raised his eyebrow slightly as he accepted it, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"Scotch before noon, Dad?"

Ibrahim good-naturedly pushed Fiyero's legs off the seat so that he could sit next to him.

"Tell me more about your girl, Yero."

Fiyero ran a hand through his hair, unable to stop himself from smiling. "What exactly do you want to know? I'm pretty sure I've told you guys everything I know about her."

Ibrahim shrugged. "I'm just curious. You've dated a lot of girls, Yero. We've never seen you like this before."

Fiyero winced. "Thanks for the recap on my dating history first of all."

Ibrahim grinned. "I was being generous by referring to it as 'dating'."

His son rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, what I have with Elphaba is nothing like that."

"So, we've gathered."

Fiyero ignored that comment. "Dad, I… I don't know. I've just thought about nothing else since the day we met," he said honestly. "She's incredible. I think she knows me better than anyone."

"After only what, seven months? Isn't that how long you've known her for?"

Fiyero nodded. "I know it sounds crazy, Dad."

Ibrahim smiled. "Yero, it's not crazy. Your mother and I can see how much you've changed this semester. Your grades from your final exams were some of the best you've ever had, and you seem happy."

"I am happy," Fiyero said without hesitation. "She makes me happy. I miss her like crazy. And it was just this gut feeling from- well, maybe not when we met," he amended. "But from the interview, definishly. This gut instinct to spend as much time with her as possible. Like unconsciously I knew I needed her in my life. Like fate."

His father's smile spread wider and he shook his head slightly.

"In that case, I can't wait to meet her. Who am I to argue with fate?"

 **AN. We're off to the Emerald City! And it's Elphaba's turn to meet the parents.**

 **Also, the character of Palo was created by PocketSevens. It was the second place prize for that competition I did a few years ago for my 5 year Wicked FF anniversary, and this is the first fic that I've been able to fit him into.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

The penthouse apartment the Vinkun royal family kept in the Emerald City was four bedrooms, two living areas, two balconies and overlooked Emerald City Park. It had originally been purchased by his grandparents, and despite growing up in a castle, Fiyero had always loved visiting as a child.

The only time Fiyero had seen it full was when he had used it to host friends while in the city; his parents rarely had guests stay with them. They kept no staff in the apartment, they simply hired a daily maid service to air it out and keep it tidy, who would stock it with groceries before they arrived.

Fiyero and his parents arrived around nine in the morning, and Kasmira immediately started bustling around to ensure everything was ready for their guests to arrive.

"Alright," Kasmira sighed, standing in the living room and looking around. "We'll take the master suite; Elphaba and Galinda will share the blue room; Nessarose and her nurse have the yellow room; and Yero, you'll have the grey room. You'll make do without a en suite, I'm sure. Once Dad and I leave, you can take the master, and one of the girls can move into the grey room if they want to. The maid will remake the beds."

Fiyero was lounging on the couch with his feet on the coffee table, skimming the paper.

"Ok, Mom," he said absent-mindedly.

Kasmira rolled her eyes and went to make sure everything was ready for their guests.

Galinda was the first to arrive, and she was more excited at the prospect of going to the Hall of Records than she was about seeing Fiyero.

"When are we going? Tomorrow?" she asked him eagerly after she'd been introduced to his parents and shown to her room.

"Tomorrow's Sunday, it'll be closed," Fiyero pointed out. "So, I'd say Monday."

"Monday is _ages_ away," Galinda complained.

"Galinda, we were working around your social calendar," Fiyero reminded her.

Galinda sighed contritely. "I know. It's just been such a busy summer!"

"Did you at least find out anything about the Benitz family?"

She shook her head. "No. A few people I asked thought the name sounded familiar but that's not exactly helpful, is it?"

Just before one o'clock that afternoon, there was a knock on the door. Fiyero rushed to the door, forfeiting all pretence of being calm, cool and collected, which was the image he would have _liked_ to have presented when seeing Elphaba for the first time since the end of May. He swore he heard stifled snickering behind him, but he wasn't sure if it came from Galinda or his father.

He threw open the door and met Nessa in the doorway, Xia and Elphaba standing behind her chair while the doorman stood by them with the luggage.

"Hi," he greeted them, his gaze immediately finding Elphaba.

"Hi," Elphaba replied, smiling at him softly.

As Xia wheeled Nessa inside, followed by the doorman with the luggage, he took the opportunity to discreetly slip past them and steer Elphaba further into the hall.

Elphaba looked bewildered for just a moment until he lowered his lips to hers, and then she smiled against his lips.

"Hi," she repeated, slipping her arms around his neck. "I've missed you."

"Me too," Fiyero murmured. "How are you? Nervous? Did you get my last letter?"

"I did," Elphaba confirmed. "And nervous? About meeting the king and queen of the Vinkus? Why would I be nervous?"

Fiyero laughed at her tone. "You're not meeting the king and queen, you're meeting my mom and dad," he corrected her gently. "Trust me, they're a lot less interesting that way."

Elphaba frowned. "Well, what do I call them? Do I have to curtsey?"

Fiyero scoffed. "No. They're just regular parents, Fae."

Elphaba looked sceptical as he led her inside.

"Hi, Elphie!" Galinda greeted her brightly.

Galinda hurried across the room and hugged her. Elphaba was still a little surprised at the concept of being friends with Galinda, let alone the blonde being willing to hug her, but she returned the hug warmly.

"Hi, Galinda."

Fiyero shut the door behind him as his parents got to their feet. Galinda, to her credit, read the room quickly and then cleared her throat.

"Nessa, Xia, this place is _amazing,"_ she said brightly. "Come see the view from my room!"

Xia and Nessa obediently followed her from the room without argument. From the doorway, Galinda turned and gave Elphaba the thumbs up before she disappeared from sight. Elphaba suppressed the urge to roll her eyes with great difficulty as Fiyero led her forward.

"Mom, Dad, this is Elphaba," he introduced them. "Elphaba, my parents, Ibrahim and Kasmira."

"Hi, Elphaba," Ibrahim said, extending his hand to her. "We've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Yero's just told us so much about you," Kasmira added, also shaking her hand. "And of course, he's sent us some of your articles."

That was news to Elphaba. "Article _s?"_ she asked. "He has?"

She glanced to Fiyero, who looked at her innocently. She knew they had read her interview with Fiyero, but she had no idea he was still sending them copies of her articles.

"How was your journey?" Ibrahim asked her.

"It was fine, thank you," Elphaba said politely. "We made better time than I was expecting. The apartment looks beautiful," she said honestly, looking around the room.

"Let me give you a tour," Kasmira offered. "I'm sure you'd like to freshen up."

Ideally, Elphaba would have liked to have freshened up _before_ meeting Fiyero's parents and maybe even before seeing Fiyero. But she simply smiled and nodded, following Fiyero's mother from the room.

As soon as they left, Fiyero turned to his father eagerly.

"Well?"

Ibrahim looked at him exasperatedly. "Seriously, son?"

"What?" Fiyero demanded, a rush of panic rising.

Ibrahim laughed and clasped him on the shoulder. "Let me have a proper conversation with her before you demand an evaluation, ok?"

Once the girls were all settled, they had a late lunch that Kasmira had ordered in for them. Conversation flowed among the group easily, Fiyero's parents mostly listening as the others recounted their summers so far. Nessa and Galinda both had lists of things they wanted to do and see while they were in the city, while Elphaba hadn't really thought beyond surviving her meeting with Fiyero's parents and hopefully learning answers about Alivia and King. Fiyero hadn't thought beyond Elphaba.

Kasmira and Ibrahim were only able to stay in the city for a night, with several pressing engagements waiting for them back home. Kasmira was torn between wishing they had more time to spend with Elphaba and Fiyero together, and not wanting to stress Elphaba out too much. She and Ibrahim both remembered how nerve-wracking it was to meet the parents for the first time.

Kasmira and Ibrahim had made reservation for themselves, Fiyero and Elphaba for dinner that night, which would leave Xia, Nessa and Galinda to amuse themselves for the evening.

"Will you go out?" Elphaba asked Nessa as she started to get ready.

"Actually, Xia's going out to meet some friends she has in the city. I think we've decided to have food delivered," Nessa said, glancing to Galinda.

Galinda nodded. "We want to be here when you get back, so we can get all the details," she said brightly.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh. Great."

She sighed and turned to the two girls, holding up the two nice dresses she'd brought with her.

"Which one?"

Galinda's face lit up and she leapt off the bed to examine them more closely.

"Oh, _this_ one!" she said, grabbing one from Elphaba's hand. "It's so _pretty!_ Even though it's black."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Elphaba made it this summer," Nessa said proudly. "She designed it and everything."

Galinda's eyes widened and she studied the dress again.

"You _did?"_

Elphaba glared at Nessa lightly. "I didn't _design_ it," she corrected quickly. "I just did the sewing. If I designed it, there'd be far less tulle involved."

Her initial plan had been to alter the dress and "de-tulle" it somewhat, but then Annalie had seen the original design and insisted she keep it intact.

Galinda pushed the dress into Elphaba's hands. "Go put it on, I want to see," she insisted.

Elphaba obeyed, taking into the en suite bathroom attached to the room. The dress was tea-length, a strapless black sheath with a tulle overlay with polka dots that went over one shoulder and filled out the skirt of the dress.

Elphaba's plan had been to remove the outer layers of tulle and make the skirt not quite as full, but Nessa was on Annalie's side.

"No, I love it!" Galinda gushed when Elphaba emerged from the bathroom. "The polka dots really make it."

"What will you do with your hair?" Nessa asked her sister.

Elphaba shrugged, digging a pair of heels out from her suitcase. "I don't know, leave it out?"

Galinda shook her head. "No. I'll help, come sit down."

Elphaba allowed Galinda to arrange her hair up in a chignon before applying a touch of makeup. The bracelet Fiyero had given her for her birthday and a pair of pearl earrings Annalie and Frex had given her for her twenty-first birthday completed the look.

"Perfect," Galinda declared. "Nessa, what do you think?"

Nessa nodded in agreement. "You look wonderful, Fabala."

There came a knock on the bedroom door. "Fae, you almost ready?"

"You can come in," Elphaba called back. "I'm ready."

Fiyero opened the door and stepped inside, a soft smile appearing on his face as he took in Elphaba.

"Wow. You look beautiful," he breathed.

"Elphaba made it," Nessa burst out.

" _Nessa,"_ Elphaba said warningly.

Fiyero grinned at her. "You made this? Really?"

Elphaba gestured to the dress. "Did you think I was lying about what I did for three years?"

"No," Fiyero chuckled. "I just haven't seen anything you've made before."

"Actually, you have," she corrected him. "Many times. I just don't advertise it, unless _some_ people," Elphaba said, narrowing her eyes at her sister.

Nessa laughed unapologetically.

"Also, you haven't seen anything she's made that is this fancy," she told Fiyero and Elphaba had to agree with that.

"Are we leaving?" Elphaba asked Fiyero.

He nodded. "Yeah, just about. See you girls later," he said to Nessa and Galinda.

Kasmira and Ibrahim entered the living room not long after Elphaba and Fiyero.

"Oh, Elphaba, you look lovely," Kasmira complimented her.

"She made it," Fiyero said immediately. "Ouch."

"Shut up," Elphaba hissed to him, as he rubbed the spot on his arm where she'd pinched him.

"Yes, Fiyero mentioned you were working," Kasmira said. "Tell me about that," she urged, taking her arm as they headed for the door.

Elphaba felt as though she did all the talking over dinner that night. The king and queen wanted to know about her family, her studies and her work before coming to Shiz. Elphaba had to recount the saga of the letters for what felt like the dozenth time, and then Ibrahim had questions about the interview she'd done with Fiyero.

"Fiyero mentioned that you write," he said. "Is that what got you into writing for the paper?"

Elphaba paused thoughtfully. "It wasn't a natural connection," she said slowly. "I was just trying to get involved with something. Extra-curricular activities, you know? And I had no idea if I'd be good at it. But I love writing feature articles. It feels almost like writing a story."

She shrugged faintly. "I do love researching stories and interviewing people. Rais, my editor, has been a great mentor. I've learned a lot from him and some of the senior writers on staff."

"And those research skills have been handy with the letters," Fiyero chimed in.

Elphaba smiled at him as he squeezed her hand.

Fiyero hadn't told his parents about Elphaba's novel and what had happened to it, he wasn't sure if she wanted people to know about it or if it was too personal. However, when Kasmira asked what kind of things she wrote besides _Gazette_ articles, Elphaba gave them the brief rundown; that she'd spent three and a half years working on a novel, until it had been lost.

"I haven't written much since then," she said simply. "Just a few things for the writing class I took last semester. But it's not the same. I just didn't enjoy the class as much after that."

"What was your favourite class?" Ibrahim asked her.

That segued into a passionate discussion about Elphaba's law classes and her struggle to decide which kind of law she wanted to practice and exactly what she wanted to use her degree for after Shiz. Fiyero could have contributed more than he did to the conversation, but he was quite content to sit back and watch, whilst eating dessert.

It was almost eleven o'clock by the time they returned to the apartment, and his parents retired for the night almost immediately to give Elphaba and Fiyero a moment alone.

"Nessa and Galinda are probably waiting to ambush me and get details," Elphaba said to Fiyero quietly, which meant she was in no rush to head to her room.

"They can wait another few minutes," Fiyero replied, drawing her to him.

Elphaba kissed him eagerly, sliding her fingers through his hair and impatiently tugging his head down to her neck, not that he needed much encouragement. Fiyero ran his hand down her side, brushing his fingers over her breast and trickling down her ribs before lightly caressing her waist as he trailed back up to her mouth.

"I really missed you," she whispered, breaking the kiss.

"I missed you too," Fiyero said. "Oz, I missed you."

He ran a thumb along her cheekbone softly, noting the tiredness in her eyes.

"Come on," he said gently. "You can debrief the girls and then get some sleep."

He walked her to the door of the room she was sharing with Galinda, noting the light shining from beneath the door. He grinned and kissed her sweetly.

"Say nice things about me," he teased her in a whisper and she rolled her eyes before she opened the door.

Fiyero didn't get a chance to talk to his parents alone until the next morning as they were finishing packing to leave.

"You could at least wait until we've actually left before moving into the master suite, Fiyero," his father teased him as he entered the room.

Fiyero rolled his eyes, shutting the door behind him so the chatter of the girls in the kitchen as Elphaba and Xia made breakfast was muffled.

"I wanted to-"

"To see what we think of Elphaba," Ibrahim finished, gesturing for him to sit down.

Fiyero nodded, sitting down in one of the armchairs in the room, and trying not to look too anxious.

"Yeah."

Kasmira wasn't fooled at all though. She abandoned her packing and moved over to sit in the chair beside her son.

"Fiyero, honey, all we've ever wanted is for you to find someone who makes you happy. Someone who you can be yourself with, and who brings out the best in you. If _you_ think Elphaba is that person, that's all that matters."

"But you like her?" Fiyero pressed.

Kasmira smiled and nodded. "Very much," she reassured him and Fiyero felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Ibrahim sat down on the end of the bed, facing them. "After last night, we think you're very well suited."

Fiyero recognised the expression on his father's face. "But?"

Ibrahim smiled slightly, but his face was solemn. " _But_ , you've been dating how long now?"

"Almost six months," Fiyero answered warily.

"The media is going to find out eventually. I'm surprised they haven't already. We want you and Elphaba to be ready for what comes with that, and _you_ know what to expect."

"We don't want to pressure you and Elphaba," his mother added. "You're both young and still in school. You don't need to make any big decisions about your future together yet, however, people are going to talk."

Fiyero knew that perfectly well. In the past, any time he'd been dating a girl for a couple of weeks, the press started to speculate if _this_ would be the future queen of the Vinkus. Fiyero had ended more than one brief relationship because of it, and his mother knew this perfectly well.

He hadn't even considered the fact the press seemed oblivious to Elphaba's existence thus far. Maybe there _was_ something to King's theory of Shiz being in a bubble. Or maybe he'd just dated so many girls that the press had given up on him. For Elphaba's sake, Fiyero rather hoped it was the latter.

Kasmira got to her feet and pulled Fiyero into a hug.

"If Elphaba's as special as you say she is, as we think she is to you, don't let her get away," she said quietly. "Don't let either of you run."

Fiyero wasn't sure what to say, so he simply nodded.

They had breakfast as a group, before Kasmira and Ibrahim took their leave.

"You don't need to rush off," Elphaba protested.

"Yes, they do," Fiyero chimed in hastily, clasping his father on the shoulder. "Safe trip, guys. See you at Lurlinemas."

Elphaba glared at him, although Kasmira only rolled her eyes while Ibrahim chuckled.

"I hope you get the answers you're looking for about the letters," the queen addressed them all. "Keep us posted, Yero."

He nodded. "Sure, Mom."

Ibrahim positively beamed at Elphaba as he bid her farewell.

"Elphaba, it was a pleasure to finally meet you. Kasmira and I had been wanting to know more about you since we read that interview with Fiyero, so we're thrillified that he was so insistent that we come and meet you here."

Elphaba looked at Fiyero, visibly startled and Fiyero inwardly groaned. He may have told Elphaba that his parents really wanted to meet her. He hadn't mentioned that it had been his suggestion.

"It was really nice to meet you too," she replied finally.

Kasmira hugged her warmly. "I hope you'll come visit us in the Vinkus sometime."

Elphaba smiled. "I'd like that," she agreed.

Ibrahim and Kasmira hadn't been gone for more than ten minutes before Galinda suggested they go shopping and Nessa immediately agreed. They hurried off to get ready, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone. Fiyero tried to avoid Elphaba's gaze which he could feel on him, going into the kitchen and pouring himself a glass of juice. As he stood there drinking it, her arms slid around his waist from the side and her chin came to rest on his shoulder.

Reluctantly, Fiyero put his glass on the counter and turned his head to look at her. One eyebrow was perfectly arched as she met his gaze.

" _You_ insisted your parents come? To meet me?" she asked him, stifling a smile.

"I may have," Fiyero conceded reluctantly. "Thought it was only fair, after I met your family."

"Uh huh."

Fiyero rolled his eyes as her smile broke through, a little too knowing for his liking. "What do you think?" he asked her.

Elphaba's face sobered. "I think…" she said quietly. "That you have your dad's looks and personality, and your mom's good heart."

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, making to leave. Fiyero stilled her arms before they could leave his waist, turning to face her and kissing her deeply. Elphaba returned the kiss, tightening her grip on his arms as his hands slid around the back of her neck to cup her head and her hips pressed against the countertop as he moved closer to her.

"Oh for the love of Oz," came Galinda's voice, causing them to break apart.

She looked exasperated as she entered the room, Nessa and Xia behind her.

"Are you two coming out with us, or are you going to stay here and make out?" the blonde asked them.

Fiyero's face brightened. "Is that an option?"

"No," Elphaba said immediately, her face flushing. "Give me five minutes," she said to Nessa and Galinda before disappearing.

Fiyero sighed. "Yeah, alright. I'll just grab my shoes."

Galinda nodded. "Ok. Hey, Fiyero?" she asked nonchalantly, as he headed out of the room. "Now that your parents are gone, who gets the big room?"

Fiyero stared at her. "Me," he said, figuring it was obvious.

Galinda sighed. "Oh, I suppose that makes sense."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "But someone can move to the other room if they want. It has no en suite though."

Galinda nodded, looking thoughtful.

Somehow in five minutes it took Fiyero and Elphaba to be ready for leave, Galinda had already decided Xia would move to the grey room and Elphaba would move to share with Nessa. None of them argued with her, because really, what was the point?

The spent Sunday mostly walking around the city, sharing some of their favourite sites with the others. They had all been there before, so very little was new to any of them, although Elphaba had never visited that many dress stores during a visit to the city before.

"What time does the Hall of Records open tomorrow?" Galinda asked them over dinner that night.

Everyone looked to Elphaba, who rolled her eyes. "Nine," she answered. "What time did you want to be there?"

"Oh, are we all going?" Galinda said in surprise.

Elphaba stared at her. "Galinda, this is the whole point of the trip. Isn't that why you came?"

"It is," Galinda protested. "I just thought… _you_ could get the records and like, bring them back to the apartment for us to see?"

"No, we should all go," Fiyero said decidedly.

"Do we want to be there at nine? For when they open?" Elphaba asked.

Nessa, Galinda and Fiyero all grimaced in unison and Elphaba rolled her eyes again.

"You guys, I don't know how busy they get," she said practically. "And it's supposed to be really hot tomorrow, and if we go early, we'll be back before it's too hot."

None of them looked terribly convinced but eventually agreed.

That being said, it took a lot for Elphaba to get Fiyero and Galinda up the next morning. Nessa was easy enough to get going with Xia's help, although she looked somewhat bleary-eyed. Elphaba had to shake Galinda awake three times, and only the threat of pouring water on Fiyero's head got _him_ out of bed.

"This would be why you avoid nine am classes?" she guessed when he finally emerged at a quarter to nine.

"Yes," he admitted readily. "What's for breakfast?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No. No breakfast. Records first, then food."

"That's not fair."

"Then you should have gotten up at eight thirty when I woke you," Elphaba retorted, shepherding them all towards the door.

She bid farewell to Xia, who looked rather amused as she watched the scene, and then they headed out of the apartment.

The Hall of Records was in the heart of the city, near the Wizard's palace. When they arrived, there was no one around save for a young clerk that immediately had Galinda's interest. He was tall and thin, with short spiky hair and glasses.

Elphaba wouldn't have assumed that he was Galinda's usual type, but there was a definite gleam in her eyes as she watched him.

"Shall I go talk to him?" she offered, tossing her curls over her shoulder and reaching for her compact.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Let's ask him for what we want, and then you can flirt with him," she replied and strode away to the counter, Galinda hurrying along in her wake.

"Excuse me?" Elphaba asked the clerk.

The clerk looked up from his work and froze. He didn't blink twice at Elphaba- people rarely did in the Emerald City- but was gaping none too subtly at Galinda as she smiled sweetly at him, fluttering her eyelashes and twirling one curl around her finger.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and nudged her, drawing the clerk's attention back to her.

"Hi. Sorry to interrupt. We're looking for a record of a marriage certificate, but we only have the bride's name. Is that a problem?"

The clerk shook his head slowly, looking a little dazed and straightening his glasses on his nose. "It shouldn't be," he said, reaching for a form. "Depends on what other information you have. Do you have the year of the marriage?"

"It should be 1837 or 1838," Elphaba replied.

"And the bride's name?"

"Benitz. Alivia Benitz. One 'n', one 't'."

The clerk made some notes on a form and then nodded. "Take a seat, and I'll see what I can find," he told Elphaba and directed them to a place where they could sit and wait.

"See, it does _not_ require four of us to do this," Galinda grumbled as they sat down.

"Yes, but then you wouldn't have met that guy," Elphaba pointed out, picking up a brochure about the building.

"That is true," Galinda said thoughtfully.

Fiyero was looking at Galinda almost in awe. "That was impressive. How often does that work?"

Galinda made a face. "It worked on everyone until I met _you,"_ she sniffed, and drew out her compact to check her face. "I still don't know why that was."

She sounded utterly bewildered as to why Fiyero had not fallen under her spell upon meeting her.

Fiyero, however, had a theory. "Er…"

Galinda eyed him expectantly and he pointed to Elphaba silently.

The blonde eyed her roommate and her face softened. "I should have guessed," she sighed a little wistfully.

Elphaba looked up from the brochure. "Guessed what?" she asked Galinda, completely oblivious.

Galinda smiled faintly. "Nothing."

Elphaba turned to Fiyero, who merely reached for her hand and squeezed it softly.

It was twenty minutes later when the clerk reappeared and asked Elphaba to come with him. She followed him without hesitation.

As soon as she'd left, Galinda turned to Fiyero.

"When exactly did you meet Elphaba?" she demanded.

Nessa looked over in interest.

Fiyero's brow furrowed. "Uh, maybe like… an hour before I met you?" he guessed.

Galinda rested her elbow on the armrest of her chair, resting her chin on her hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Fiyero's face.

"Well, who am I to argue with love at first sight?" she sighed.

Nessa scoffed. "That's not how Elphaba would describe it," she told Galinda.

Fiyero didn't need to hear how Elphaba would describe their first meeting, but Galinda's interest was immediately captured.

"I haven't heard this!" she said brightly. "How did they meet? The interview?"

Thankfully, before Nessa could tell the whole story, Elphaba returned. She was clutching a large envelope tightly in her hand, and the look on her face made Fiyero hastily rise to his feet.

"What happened?" he asked the moment she was within earshot. "What did they find?"

"Let's go back to the apartment first," she said simply.

Galinda didn't even stop to flirt with the clerk, Elphaba's facial expression was so odd.

They went back to the apartment and sat in the living room, while Xia got them all lemonade.

"What did they find?" Galinda demanded. "Was there no marriage certificate?"

"No, there _was_ a marriage certificate," Elphaba confirmed opening the envelope and drawing out a piece of paper.

"Alivia Benitz married Blaze Gumme in May of 1838."


	24. Chapter 24

**AN. Happy birthday Ultimate Queen of Cliffies!**

 **And Sam, about the name- I honestly don't even remember lol. It could be!**

 **Chapter 24**

Silence fell.

"I thought you were looking for someone named 'King'?" Xia asked, puzzled.

"We were," Nessa said confusedly. "I- I don't understand. Who's Blaze Gumme?"

"He's the man Alivia's parents wanted her to marry," Elphaba reminded her gently.

Galinda rose to her feet, frowning. "No," she insisted. " _No."_

She hurried out of the room, returning a few minutes later with the letters. She skimmed them frantically, her face falling the further she read.

"I don't understand," she echoed Nessa, looking rather lost. "Why didn't she marry King?"

"Maybe he never turned up at the meeting point to elope?" Fiyero suggested.

"No, he never would have stood her up!" protested Nessa. "Maybe something happened on his way to meet her," she said. "He had an accident or something?"

Galinda gasped, her eyes widening as she turned to Nessa. "Oh, he _died_ on his way to meet her!" she exclaimed. "How _tragic._ Do you think Blaze or Ali's father killed him?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. " _Really?"_ she demanded of Galinda. "Do you hear what you're saying? There are plenty of _logical_ explanations for why they never married."

"Like what?" Nessa asked her sister.

Elphaba faltered for just a moment. "Maybe it's like Fiyero said. Maybe one of them got cold feet and never turned up at the meeting point. Maybe after they left, it just didn't work out."

"Maybe they argued?" Xia interjected.

"And that was the only marriage certificate listed with Alivia's name?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba nodded. "Yes. Just Ali and Blaze."

Silence fell once more, until it was broken by a sniffle.

"Galinda, are you _crying?"_ Fiyero demanded.

Galinda was indeed crying. "It wasn't supposed to end this way," she said in a quivering voice.

Nessa looked rather teary herself as she squeezed Galinda's hand comfortingly. "I know."

Fiyero turned to Elphaba in bewilderment, who merely shrugged one shoulder at him.

Between the "bombshell" (Galinda's word) and the sweltering heat, they didn't do much for the rest of the day. After noon, it got too hot to go outside, and although they had every window in the apartment flung open, it wasn't much cooler inside.

They ordered in for dinner so they didn't have to go out, and Nessa and Galinda both went to bed early. The heat didn't let up once the sun set that night, and Fiyero found it difficult to fall asleep. He tossed and turned for a few hours, wishing there was even a hint of a breeze coming through the open window.

Around three am he gave up, padding out to the kitchen in search of something to eat. He wasn't expecting to find a dim lamp lit in the living room, and Elphaba sitting on the couch in her nightgown and robe in the silence of the apartment.

"Fae? What are you doing up?"

She looked over, smiling wryly. "I could say the same to you."

"Couldn't sleep," Fiyero said, coming over to sit next to her.

He realised a little too late he was only wearing pyjama bottoms, but Elphaba didn't seem perturbed.

She had the letters, papers and notes they- or rather _she_ \- had collected so far spread out on the coffee table before her.

"What are you doing?"

Elphaba sighed, collapsing against the back of the couch and pushing back sweaty tendrils of hair that had escaped from the messy bun she'd pulled her hair into in a weak effort to combat the heat.

"Just thinking about the letters," she said. "Considering all Galinda and Nessa's theories about what happened."

"Yeah, I refuse to consider Galinda's suggestion of Blaze putting a hit out on King so that he can marry Ali," Fiyero said.

Elphaba chuckled. "Not _that_ theory," she agreed. "But _something_ must have happened."

She reached forward and grabbed one of the letters from the table, handing it to him.

"This one," she said, adjusting her robe slightly.

Fiyero tore his gaze away from admiring the curve of her neck to look at the letter. It was the only other letter they had written by Ali after the first, and her acceptance to King's proposal. He'd read it before, many times. The light provided from the lamp Elphaba was so dim Fiyero could barely make out the words.

 _15th November 1837_

 _K-_

 _Yes._

 _Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!_

 _Oh my darling, love of my life. Nothing in this world would make me happier than to be your wife._

 _I'm fairly certain there's a letter making its way towards me right as I write this. A follow up letter to your proposal, questioning the logic and practicality of us marrying, full of your doubts. Well if such a letter arrives, I'm not going to even acknowledge it. From this moment, we're going to forget its existence._

 _I love you. More than my life, and I would spend the rest of my days happily living in a wooden hut if that's what it took to be with you. But it won't, because you, King of my Heart, are destined for greatness. I know it._

 _I'm so happy. I never knew it was possible to be this happy and the only thing that would make me happier is if you were with me right now. I've told Wyn, of course and we've already come up with a few plans._

 _I don't want to mar our happiness, and the memory of this moment, by arguing with my parents._

 _So,_ _my_ _proposition. My proposal. Let's just_ _GO_ _._

 _Let's go and live our lives, be in love and be happy._

 _Winter break is coming up. Meet me at the end of semester, in our place and we'll go._

 _I love you so much._

 _A._

Elphaba had one leg drawn up on the couch, bent towards her chest.

"You read that letter, you read the letter where King proposes. Neither feels like the words of someone who isn't going to follow through. So, what happened?"

"Fae, there's a hundred different things that might have happened," Fiyero said, putting the letter back on the coffee table. "Glin and Nessa listed every single one of them over the course of the afternoon."

Elphaba rested her chin on her knee with a frown.

"It's just… I know that King was worried about their chances of making it outside of Shiz, and I still think those were- _are-_ real concerns. But… I really hoped they'd make it, you know?" she asked, her voice dropping.

"I wanted them to have a happy ending. I hoped if anyone had a chance, it was them."

Fiyero stared at her, a lump in his throat. The apartment was silent, and there were no sounds from outside trickling through the still open windows, but Fiyero was suddenly sure everyone within the city limits could hear his pounding heart.

"I love you."

Elphaba's head jerked up, whipping around to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Wh-What?" she asked hoarsely.

Fiyero met her gaze solemnly. "I love you," he repeated.

For a long moment, they were both still, holding each other's gaze. Then Elphaba leaned over and kissed him deeply, her arms sliding around his neck and gripping his hair at the back of his head. Fiyero pulled her to him without hesitation, lifting her slightly and hooking one hand around her knee, moving her leg so that she had one leg either side of his waist. Fiyero leaned up into her kiss as he ran his hands up her sides, slipping beneath her robe and relishing the feel of her skin against the cotton of her nightgown.

Elphaba's breath hitched slightly as his hands tightened on her hips firmly, and Fiyero trailed his lips along her neck and collarbone. Elphaba cupped a hand under his jaw, gently tilting his head up so he could meet her eyes. She rested her forehead against his, brushing her thumb against his stubble.

"I love you," she breathed.

Fiyero kissed her lingeringly, a crushing wave of elation and more than a touch of relief washing over him.

"You're wrong, you know," he murmured to her, his fingers of one hand tracing up her spine. "If anyone has a chance, it's us."

Elphaba lowered her lips to his, leaning into his touch and tracing her hand down his bare chest to his stomach, her stomach clenching as a quiet groan was uttered from his lips.

Fiyero tugged off her robe rather impatiently to give him more access to her skin, flipping her around so that she was lying on the couch, which made her gasp softly.

"I want to make it very, _very_ clear," Fiyero muttered, as he planted soft kisses across her neck and jaw up to her lips, pulling back to see her face.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow a little, looking at him expectantly, her eyes dark.

Fiyero swallowed. "You're the only girl I've ever said that to, the only girl I've ever _wanted_ to say it to. I love you, Fae."

Her face softened as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I love you so much," she whispered.

Fiyero kissed her deeply then reluctantly pulled back before things got too heated. As much as he wanted her, he knew she still wasn't ready. And it certainly wasn't going to happen on a couch at three in the morning with her sister, Galinda and Xia only rooms away.

He shifted to the side so that he was lying next to her on the couch. Elphaba rolled over on her side to face him and he pulled her flush against him.

He was unable to stop himself to keep himself from touching her however and lowered his head to plant more soft kisses down her jaw and neck.

"I feel like it's been on the tip of my tongue for months," Fiyero confessed in a murmur. "I could have told you a million times before now."

Elphaba's eyes fluttered shut as the aforementioned tongue brushed along her collarbone.

"Since when exactly?"

Fiyero sighed against her skin, and Elphaba shivered involuntarily. "Since our first date?"

Elphaba's eyes widened and she lifted her head incredulously. " _What? No,"_ she protested, her voice slightly louder than intended.

They both stilled for a moment until they remained assured the silence was as still as before.

Fiyero nodded. "Maybe before that. Maybe since the night of the bonfire."

He went back to tracing her spine. It wasn't helping with the heat to be so close, but neither could bring themselves to move.

"The bonfire?" Elphaba repeated softly. "But-"

"Elphaba, you were in my _bed,"_ Fiyero reminded her, as though she could possibly forget that night. "I told you. That was the night I knew I had to be more than just your friend."

She frowned slightly. "But you didn't say anything before now."

Fiyero hesitated. "It's hard to explain," he said, frowning thoughtfully. "It was never a… conscious thought. It was more like, I could go to say anything to you- pass the salt, see you later, whatever. And that moment when I opened my mouth, I had to physically stop myself from saying 'I love you' without even mentally considering it as an option."

He kissed her sweetly. "I think my subconscious knew I loved you before I did. And I didn't want the first time I told you that I loved you to be when they just… slipped out."

Elphaba's eyes grew heavy as he continued to stroke her spine.

"You?" he asked her, as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"The night we went to _Idylliah,"_ she murmured.

Fiyero kissed the top of her head softly as she nestled against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He was pretty sure she was about to fall asleep and knew she should go to bed, but he was loath to have her leave his arms at the moment.

"Oz, I love you so much," he murmured, smoothing a damp tendril behind her ear. "You're so beautiful."

She grimaced slightly. "I'm all sweaty," she complained.

He chuckled. "You're perfect," he murmured.

Elphaba sighed contentedly, her eyes falling shut as her whole body relaxed.

"You know what I was thinking on the trip here?" Fiyero asked quietly. "You should write about this. Ali and King. Their story."

"I have to," Elphaba reminded him. "For the _Gazette,_ remember? That's how I got the student files."

Fiyero shook his head. "No. I mean, like a book. I think it'd be a good story."

Elphaba snorted, her eyes still closed. "How? They don't end up together. It's not exactly a happy ending."

"Nah, all it needs is a plot twist," Fiyero said teasingly. "Surprise people. Or just kill someone off. That always gets me interested in a book. You could use Galinda's assassin theory."

Elphaba frowned sleepily. Something about his words nagged at a corner of her brain. But before she could think about why, she fell asleep. Fiyero followed soon after.

The next thing Fiyero was aware of, his arms were empty. His eyes still firmly shut, Fiyero frowned and reached out to feel around him. He was definishly alone. For a moment he wondered if he'd dreamed it all, but there was a faint scent on the couch cushion of Elphaba's apple, honey and mint shampoo.

Fiyero shifted slightly, inhaling the smell and picking up the subtle notes of what he could only describe as 'Elphaba'. So she had definishly been there. His eyes flickered open and he saw the coffee table had been cleared of all the letters and papers that had been there when he'd fallen asleep, and there was a throw blanket covering him, which had not been there. He frowned sleepily, feeling rather bereft. He was considering going back to sleep until a shadow moved across his peripheral vision.

"You know, I don't know what the point was of giving you the big bedroom if you're going to sleep on the couch."

Fiyero turned his head and saw Galinda sitting in the armchair next to the couch, her arms crossed over her chest.

"How about, _it's my family's apartment,"_ he grumbled, sitting up and running a hand over his face tiredly. "What time is it? Where's Fae?"

"It's a quarter past ten. Elphaba went out."

He stared blankly at her. "She went _out?_ When? Where?"

"She was gone when I got up at about eight-thirty," Nessa contributed, wheeling herself over. "She left this note."

Fiyero took the slip of paper she handed him, blinking blearily at the words.

" _Gone researching. Be back ASAP. Don't wake Yero. E xx,"_ he read aloud. "Gone researching?"

He groaned slightly. "Oz, do you know how many libraries, museums and archives there are in the city?" he demanded of Nessa and Galinda.

"She's going to lose track of time, and I'm going to have to go looking all over the city to drag her out before she starves to death. And what is she even researching? We're on vacation!"

Nessa giggled. "I'm sure she'll be fine, Fiyero. Why were you even sleeping on the couch?"

Fiyero faltered slightly. "Uh, couldn't sleep. Too hot last night," he said vaguely. "I'm gonna go shower."

By the time he'd showered, shaved and dressed, Elphaba still wasn't back. He wondered aloud to Nessa if he should go looking for her, but she dissuaded him.

"She's only been gone at most a few hours. I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Fiyero frowned. "I guess," he said reluctantly.

He felt surprisingly uneasy after waking up to find her gone. He hadn't planned to fall asleep, but once she was sleeping in his arms, he'd gotten caught up in admiring how peaceful and beautiful she looked. He'd been so relaxed, he drifted off. This morning had been the first time that he'd woken up alone and felt like everything was wrong.

Around noon, Fiyero began to wonder if perhaps he'd scared Elphaba during their three am chat. She'd said she loved him back, but maybe it was too soon. Maybe once morning came, she regretted it.

It was a quarter to three that afternoon when the apartment door opened and Elphaba entered, clutching a familiar looking envelope.

" _Finally!"_ Nessa exclaimed. "Fabala, where have you _been?"_

"Sorry," Elphaba apologised. "I lost track of time."

She didn't look sorry at all, though. Her face was alight, she was smiling broadly, and she kept rising onto her toes as she walked over to the kitchen and dumped her bag on the counter.

"Where were you?" Xia asked, entering the room.

"Researching."

Nessa frowned. "That's not a helpful answer, Elphaba."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Nessa. I've been allowed to walk around the city alone since I was fourteen. And I left a note."

Galinda entered the room. "Oh, Elphie you're back!"

She turned back to the hallway. "Fiyero, she's back!"

There were hurried footsteps and then Fiyero appeared.

"You're back!" he said, relief colouring his tone. "Where were you? What did you find?"

Galinda's eyes widened. "You found something? To do with the letters? What is it?" she demanded.

Elphaba laughed, pulling a loaf of bread out of the cupboard.

"Let me make a sandwich and I'll show you," she promised Galinda. "I'm starving."

Galinda pouted for a moment and then sighed. " _Fine_."

Fiyero entered the kitchen as the girls retreated, coming up behind Elphaba and wrapping his arms around her waist. Elphaba stilled midway through spreading jam over bread, smiling softly as he tucked his head into the crook of her neck.

"Can we make a rule?" he murmured. "That you don't leave my bed in the morning without waking me up?"

Elphaba chuckled and turned her head towards him. "First of all, we were on the couch. Secondly, I _tried_ to wake you. You were dead to the world," she insisted.

Fiyero paused. "That does sound like me," he admitted.

She giggled.

Fiyero tightened his arms around her.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear hesitating for just a moment.

Elphaba turned around to face him, sliding her arms around his neck.

"I love you," she said quietly.

Fiyero kissed her gently, trying to stop himself from smiling. He was not successful.

"Aren't you hot?" he asked, noting the high neck of the top she wore.

Elphaba made a noise in her throat, biting back a smile and lifting an eyebrow.

"A little. But it was easier to deal with the heat than trying to explain _this,"_ she hissed, pulling at her neckline to reveal faint marks that littered her neck that had definitely not been there the night before.

Fiyero grinned broadly. "Oops?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and returned to making her sandwich.

"Ok, so what did you find?" Galinda demanded impatiently when Elphaba had finished eating.

Elphaba smiled knowingly and retrieved the envelope from the counter.

"So, I had an idea last night," she explained as they gathered around her.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow at her and stifled a smile, wondering exactly when during the night she had this idea. Elphaba seemed to know what he was thinking, because she pointedly avoided his gaze.

"I went back to the Hall of Records this morning-"

"Wait, didn't they already check for any other marriage certificates under Alivia's name?" Nessa interrupted. "The clerk checked, right?"

Elphaba nodded. "He did. Which reminds me."

She pulled a note from out of the envelope and handed it to Galinda.

"Here."

"What is it?"

"It's for you. From that clerk."

Galinda squealed. "The cute one? Really? You saw him? What's his name?" she demanded eagerly.

"We don't care about the clerk," Fiyero rolled his eyes. "I want to know what Fae found."

Elphaba pulled out a sheet of paper and turned it to face them all.

"Alivia's father died," she said simply.

Nessa straightened sharply. "What? When?"

"January of 1838. He had a heart attack," Elphaba said, pointing to the cause of death listed on the death certificate.

"Oh, how _awful,"_ Xia said sadly.

"My theory is," Elphaba said. "That Ali and King met up and went off to elope."

"And their elopement caused her father to have a heart attack and die?!" Galinda gasped.

"Maybe," Elphaba said.

"And when Alivia found out, she left King and went back to her family?" Fiyero guessed where she was going with this.

Elphaba nodded and pointed to the death certificate again.

"Look at this."

" _Issue in order of birth, their names and ages,"_ Nessa read aloud. "Alivia, nineteen; Kandake, fourteen; Prisca, eleven."

"She had two younger sisters," Elphaba said. "What life for women was like back then… without her father, her mother and sisters wouldn't have had it easy. Especially if their family reputation was at risk by Alivia and King eloping."

She hesitated and turned to Nessa. "I know that if something happened to Papa tomorrow, and the only way for me to help you and make sure you were taken care of was to marry someone, I would."

Nessa's eyes filled with tears and she reached out to clasp her sister's hand tightly.

"I know you would," she choked out.

Elphaba squeezed her hand and took a deep breath.

"Anyway," she said, sounding a little choked up herself. "That's why I think Alivia married Blaze. For her family."

"Oh, that's _heartbreaking,"_ Galinda whispered, tears in her own eyes.

"This took nearly six hours?" Xia asked Elphaba.

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Well, no. After I got the records, I went to the library and found this."

She pulled out her final discovery from the envelope, a copy of a newspaper article.

"This was in the society pages of _The Oracle,"_ Elphaba said, naming the Gilikinese newspaper. "They're all archived in the library. It's the notice for Alivia and Blaze's engagement in January of 1838."

Galinda grabbed it from her hand. " _The marriage of Miss Alivia Benitz and Blaze Gumme will take place in May. The ceremony will be performed by the Rev. L Harre at the Lurline Church of Bru in Nvr and will be followed by a reception at the bride's family home of Dorston Hall._ Wait, Dorston Hall?!"

"What, do you know it?" Nessa asked her.

"Yes! It's in Neverdale," Galinda exclaimed. "The Bophin family own it now. Momsie and Popsicle are friends with them. Mrs Bophin and Momsie were debutantes together."

"What's the church of Bru?" Fiyero asked, reading the announcement himself.

"Brunhilla, I expect," Galinda replied. "It's the only Lurlinist church in Neverdale that I know of. Momsie and Popsicle were married there too!"

Elphaba sat back against the couch wearily. "So, we know what happened now," she said in satisfaction. "Ali's father died, and she married Blaze instead of King to protect her mother and sisters. That sounds plausible, right?"

Nessa nodded soberly. "I think it adds up."

Xia and Fiyero agreed.

Galinda sighed. "I hope you're right, Elphie. About why she married Blaze. It just might make this bearable."

"If it's true, Alivia did something wonderful for her family," Xia told her gently.

"I know," Galinda agreed. "But it's not the ending I wanted."

That was true for all of them.


	25. Chapter 25

**A guest reviewed my new oneshot _Our Kingdom_ to point out it's "tire" not "tyre"**

 **I'd like to point out "tyre" is the British/Australia spelling, "tire" is the US spelling, so it's not a typo. Source: Am Australian, and an English teacher.**

 **Chapter 25**

Galinda, although heartbroken, was never one to be down for long.

"I think we should go out for dinner tonight," Galinda announced. "Somewhere nice and… we should toast to Ali and King."

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a glance.

"I think that sounds lovely," Nessa agreed quietly.

"Why don't I go make the reservation?" Xia suggested. "Where would you like to go?"

Fiyero immediately suggested a few places, and when they agreed on a place, Xia left to make the reservation.

Galinda jumped up not long after she'd left. "Elphie, come help me decide what to wear," she ordered Elphaba, grabbing her arm and dragging her away before Elphaba could argue.

Fiyero chuckled slightly at the look on his girlfriend's face as she disappeared. He turned to make a joke to Nessa, but the words died on his lips at the look on her face.

"Hey, are you ok Ness?" he asked her, gently nudging her knee with his fist. "Not the happy ending you wanted, huh?"

"No, it's not that" she said with a frown. "I mean, it is. And it's not the ending I wanted to hear, but…"

She blinked, and her eyes filled with tears.

"What?" Fiyero asked in alarm. "What is it?"

Nessa took a shuddering breath. "What Fabala said. About if something happened to Papa."

Fiyero silently handed her a tissue.

"I know Ali lived in a different time," Nessa said shakily. "And we're older than she was. Ima works, and she adopted Fabala and I when she married Papa, in case something did happen. But, what if something _did_ happen? Ima's only a _librarian_ and Tomaz is only ten. Xia has to be paid, and my chair…"

She was making less sense the more visibly upset she got and Fiyero frowned in concern.

"Hey, hey, hey," he cut her off, placing a hesitant hand on her arm. "Nessa, listen to me."

Nessa sniffled as she met his gaze tearfully.

"Nothing is going to happen to your father," Fiyero reassured her. "And on the very off chance that something _did_ happen to him, you wouldn't have to worry about what would happen to you guys."

"Why not?" Nessa sniffled.

"Because you have me," Fiyero replied as though it were obvious.

Nessa uttered a watery chuckle, wiping her eyes. "Fiyero, that's very sweet. But just because you're dating Elphaba-"

Fiyero shook his head. "No, Nessa. Look, I love Elphaba," he said firmly.

Nessa stared at him, her eyes widening almost exactly the same way Elphaba's had.

" _What?"_ she gasped. "You _love_ Elphaba?"

Fiyero grinned slowly. "Yeah," he admitted.

It felt so thrillifying to be able to say it aloud to people. Besides Elphaba, that is.

"Oh my Oz!" Nessa cried excitedly, her tears forgotten. "Does Elphaba _know?"_

"Does Elphaba know what?"

Nessa and Fiyero both turned as Elphaba entered the room.

Fiyero grinned at her brightly, reaching out for her as she neared the couch and drawing her over to sit on his knee.

"That I love you," he said.

"Oh, _that,"_ Elphaba said lightly as she sat down. "Yeah, that's old news."

Fiyero laughed, kissing her gently.

Elphaba pulled away with a smile, although it was replaced with a frown as she noted Nessa's red rimmed eyes.

"Nessie? Are you ok?"

Nessa nodded with a smile. "I'm fine. Just… sad about Alivia, you know?"

Fiyero squeezed Elphaba's waist lightly. "You escaped Glin's clutches?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Yeah. She keeps forgetting that despite my employment history, I do not care about fashion. When I walked in the room and just pointed to a random dress, she remembered. Suddenly she didn't need my help anymore."

The five of them went out to dinner that night, a quiet little restaurant Fiyero knew of. As they ate, Galinda stared out at the city streets thoughtfully.

"Where do you think they went?"

"Who went for what?" Fiyero asked blankly.

"Alivia and King," Galinda explained. "When they went to elope. I mean, they obviously didn't _do_ it, but where did they go when they left Shiz?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I guess it depends on if they were hoping to get married right away, or whether they wanted to get somewhere they wouldn't be found first. The Emerald City has the shortest waiting period for a marriage license, but given that they never got married…"

She trailed off as the others stared at her and she sighed a little.

"Maybe just stop being surprised that I know random things?" she suggested. "It'll save time."

"Good advice," Fiyero nodded.

The rest of the week passed swiftly. The weather was perfect for the Emerald City after the initial heatwave, sunny yet not sweltering hot. Nessa convinced the others to go with her to her favourite art museum in the city, although she quickly regretted that once they were there.

Elphaba, as her sister had told her many times, was not an art person. And as it turned out, neither was Fiyero.

" _I_ could do that," Fiyero said for the umpteenth time since they'd arrived, looking at a painting.

Elphaba scoffed. "Really? Are you any better at art than cooking?" she teased him.

Fiyero glared at her and muttered something to her.

It was too low for Nessa to hear what he said, although she thought she caught the word "cake." From the way her sister blushed, Nessa figured she didn't really want to know.

"Why don't you two go?" she suggested. "Go do something that won't bore you."

Fiyero immediately nodded and started to walk away, but Elphaba hesitated.

"Are you sure?" she asked her.

Nessa nodded. "I'm sure. I've got Xia with me," she pointed out. "I'll be fine."

Elphaba didn't need much more convincing, even with Fiyero tugging on her hand.

"Alright. We'll see you later," she waved and allowed Fiyero to lead her away.

Galinda spent most of her evenings with Link, the clerk from the Hall of Records, who she said was "so charming for someone who thinks old records are interesting." Fiyero would have gladly taken Elphaba out every evening but she didn't want to leave Nessa alone every night, even with Xia for company.

He did however make a point of taking her out their last night in the city, to the most exclusive restaurant in the city. It was more than two hundred years old and had the original décor. The centrepiece of which was a beautiful antique chandelier that hung in the middle of the dance floor.

Per his specific request, Elphaba wore the dress she'd worn to dinner with his parents and Fiyero couldn't take his eyes off of her, even though he'd seen the dress before. Elphaba thought the building and room were incredible, but he was much more interested in her.

"How did you even get a table here?" Elphaba demanded.

"The royal family has had a standing reservation here since they opened," Fiyero shrugged.

Elphaba stared at him. "Seriously? So, they just keep this table ready _every_ night on the off chance someone in your family shows up?"

"Kinda," Fiyero admitted. "But isn't this food worth it?"

Elphaba chuckled and rolled her eyes.

After they'd finished dinner, Fiyero gestured to the dance floor.

"Want to dance?"

"Sure," she agreed.

Fiyero beamed as he led her out to the dance floor, resting a hand on her lower back and pulling her close. They were more swaying on the spot than actually dancing, but neither really noticed or cared.

"Just in case you're under any delusion as to what Munchkinland is like, it's _nothing_ like this," Elphaba told him.

He laughed slightly. "Consider me forewarned."

He drew her closer, resting his forehead against hers. "Fae, I get to spend three whole weeks with you. I get to see where you grew up and meet the people who are most important to you. That's why I'm excited to go home with you. I don't need to be entertained."

Elphaba scoffed and he grinned.

"OK, I may need _some_ entertainment," he amended.

She laughed softly.

"And you _have_ realised that we won't be making out in front of my family, yes?"

Fiyero stopped moving. "Then why are we wasting time here?" he asked.

Elphaba rolled her eyes but she didn't really protest too strongly as he paid for dinner and led her from the restaurant.

As they walked through Emerald Park back to the apartment, they mainly spoke about all the plans Elphaba had made for his visit. Ottah and Melia had already invited them over for dinner and Ottah wanted to take Fiyero fishing "pending his approval."

"Is Ottah more or less scary than your dad?"

Elphaba laughed. "Less scary, less overprotective, but more annoying."

Fiyero grinned and drew her to a stop. "And you're telling me I can't kiss you at all the whole time we're in Munchkinland?"

Elphaba smiled as he kissed her softly. "I didn't say you can't kiss me at _all,"_ she said, winding her arms around his neck.

"Well good," Fiyero replied. "Because I think I'd go crazy," he murmured as he deepened the kiss.

As his lips moved down to the familiar spot on her neck, Elphaba chuckled breathily. "See, _this_ would be the kind of thing I'm talking about."

"So, you want me to stop?"

She hesitated. " _No…"_

Fiyero laughed.

He didn't think he was nervous about staying with Elphaba's family, after all, he'd already met them. But as the carriage came to a stop the next day before the house, he did feel a little trepidation.

"I should have brought presents. Should I have brought presents?" he asked Elphaba as they climbed out of the carriage.

"Like what?" Elphaba asked amusedly.

"I don't know. Flowers? Chocolates? Cigars?"

"Not the best idea. We're trying to get Tom to cut down on the cigars," Elphaba quipped.

Nessa giggled as she was settled into her chair, but Fiyero just stared at Elphaba pointedly until she grinned at him.

"Yero, _relax._ You know them already, remember?"

She laced her fingers through his. "Come on."

It being a Sunday, neither Annalie nor Frex were working. Annalie met them at the door, and she greeted Fiyero warmly.

"Is that all your luggage?" she asked him.

"My parents are sending the rest of my things to Shiz," Fiyero explained. "It seemed rather pointless to lug everything all around Oz."

"Very true," Annalie agreed with a smile. "Well, the guest room is all made up. Fabala, do you want to give him a tour?"

"Ok," Elphaba agreed. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

She took Fiyero upstairs to the guest room, pointing out the rooms along the way.

"My parent's room, Tom's room, bathroom, my room and guest room," she listed off as they went down the hallway, only pausing for Elphaba to put her bags in her room, which allowed Fiyero a mere glimpse of her bedroom.

"Back stairs go down to the kitchen."

Fiyero nodded as he set his luggage down. "Sounds simple."

"Nessa's room is downstairs obviously," Elphaba continued. "And Xia's room is next to hers."

Fiyero followed her down the back stairs through the kitchen, where she gave him a quick tour of the ground floor before leading him back to the living room where everyone else had gathered.

"Fiyero. Welcome," Frex greeted Fiyero, standing and shaking the prince's hand.

"Thank you, Governor," Fiyero said politely.

"Hi, Fiyero," Tomaz said with a smile.

"Hey, Tomaz. How's your summer going?"

Tomaz shrugged. "It's alright."

He looked to Elphaba hopefully. "Did _you_ bring me a present back from the Emerald City?" he asked.

Elphaba chuckled as she and Fiyero sat down. "Sorry, Tom. Why would you need a present? You were in the Emerald City a few months ago."

"Yeah, but I like presents."

Nessa intervened at this point. "Fabala, Grandma and Grandad wrote," she said, handing her sister a letter.

Elphaba brightened. "Oh, good."

"They might come down for Lurlinemas this year," Annalie told her.

"That would be great! We haven't seen them in so long."

Annalie's parents rarely travelled down from the Glikkus these days due to poor health. The family had gone up to visit early last summer, but that had still been a year ago.

Fiyero's visit coincided with Xia's vacation time for the year, which meant that Annalie, Elphaba and Nikita would be stepping in to help Nessa with Xia's usual duties. Aside from the daily exercises on her legs, mostly just consisted of helping her bathe and dress. Which would still leave Elphaba plenty of time to keep her plans with Fiyero.

"Do you have any friends from school here in Munchkinland?" Annalie asked Elphaba, Fiyero and Nessa over dinner. "If so, you should invite them for dinner one night while Fiyero's here."

"Boq lives in Nest Hardings," Nessa contributed. "He works on the paper with Elphaba and he's in Fiyero's Economics class."

Fiyero shrugged. "Sure. Boq's alright. Bit of a nervous bloke."

"Yes, but Galinda's not here, so he should be able to form sentences," Elphaba replied dryly.

Fiyero sniggered. "He's going to be heartbroken when he finds out about Galinda's clerk."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "By the time we get back to school, Galinda will probably have forgotten all about him," she predicted.

Late that night, Elphaba made her and Fiyero a bowl of ice cream each and carried it out to the living room, finding him standing before the mantlepiece. Frex was working in his study, while Annalie helped Nessa into bed.

Fiyero was studying the family photos that lined the mantlepiece, particularly the family photo from Frex and Annalie's wedding day.

"You were so tiny!" he grinned at her, taking the bowl she offered him. "How old were you here?"

Elphaba glanced at the picture. "Uh, eleven."

Next to the photo, was one of Frex, Melena and Elphaba as a baby.

"You look a lot like your mom," Fiyero noted quietly.

Elphaba shook her head. "Just the eyes. I look more like my grandmother- her mother. She died before I was born. I'll show you a picture later," she said. "Nessa is more like Momma."

"And what's with the jar of sand?" he asked.

She chuckled. "It's this thing that Papa and Anna did at their wedding to symbolise the uniting of our new family. Anna's red and Papa is blue."

"Which makes… purple?"

She beamed at him. "Exactly."

The next morning Elphaba came downstairs for breakfast and found Fiyero in the kitchen, chatting with Nikita at the table, an empty plate before him.

"Good morning," Elphaba said, taking the seat next to Fiyero.

Fiyero turned to her with a smile. "Morning, Fae," he said kissing her lightly.

"I will never get used to seeing you up before nine," she laughed slightly. "Morning, Nikita. Where is everyone?"

"Your father's in his study, Anna's with Nessa, Tom is still asleep, and Xia is just finishing up packing before she leaves for her vacation," Nikita answered. "Coffee? Toast?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, I'll just have juice."

"Nikita makes the best scrambled eggs I've ever had," Fiyero told Elphaba and she grinned.

"She wouldn't tell you her secret ingredient though, would she?"

"No," Fiyero admitted. "But I've got time to get it out of her."

Elphaba laughed and Nikita chuckled. "I haven't told my boys this secret, so I don't like your chances," she told Fiyero.

When Fiyero went back upstairs to get ready for the grand tour of Munchkin City Elphaba had promised him for the day, Nikita smiled at Elphaba.

"I like this boy of yours. He's very charming."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You like anyone who compliments your cooking."

Nikita laughed. "Regardless, he's lovely. He adores you."

Elphaba flushed slightly.

"Ottah's so excited to meet him," Nikita continued. "You're having dinner on Wednesday, aren't you?"

Elphaba nodded then frowned slightly. "What are the chances of Ottah not calling me ' _Little Fabala'_ when I take Fiyero to meet him?"

"Not likely, I'd say," Nikita laughed.

Fortunately, Elphaba thought to forewarn Fiyero about that as they headed to Ottah's home for dinner.

"He's done it as long as I can remember, and I swear as this point, he just does it to annoy me," she said.

Fiyero laughed.

Ottah greeted them at the door, ushering them inside.

"Hi, Little Fabala," he greeted her warmly, hugging her.

"Hi," Elphaba said. Her tone was reluctant, but Fiyero could hear the fondness in her voice. She turned to Fiyero and ushered him forward.

"Ottah, this is Fiyero. Fiyero, Ottah."

Ottah smiled and offered a hand to Fiyero. "Nice to finally meet you."

"You too," Fiyero replied. "Fae's told me so much about you."

"Fae?" Ottah questioned, glancing at Elphaba curiously.

She sighed. "It's a long story," she said. "Where's Melia and the boys?"

"Mel's just bathing them up after dinner," Ottah replied. "They had spaghetti… there was a mess. Come have a seat. Our dinner will be ready in like half an hour."

Ten minutes later, Hallam came barrelling out from the hallway into the living room and over to Elphaba as though he hadn't seen her in months, instead of just a few weeks.

"Elphaba!"

"Hi, Hallam," Elphaba replied brightly, scooping him into her arms for a hug. "Come here."

She positioned him on her lap so that he was facing Fiyero.

"This is my friend, Fiyero. Fiyero, this is Hallam."

Fiyero grinned at the little boy. "Hi."

"Hello," Hallam replied, a little shyly.

Then he looked up at Elphaba.

"Can you read me a story? Momma said to ask you."

"Please," Ottah corrected his son.

"Please," Hallam added, shooting Elphaba a winning grin.

"Of course," Elphaba agreed immediately.

She glanced at Fiyero as Hallam scrambled off her lap. "I'll be back."

Fiyero nodded. "Sure, Fae."

Ottah took the opportunity at once, as Elphaba had known he would. "So, Fae. Where does that come from?"

Elphaba was pretty sure the dinner had been a success, but if she had been uncertain, Nikita made sure to mention that Ottah and Melia liked Fiyero very much when she saw Elphaba a few days later.

Through the rest of his stay, Fiyero met Ottah and his family several times, including a few dinners and he even helped Elphaba baby-sit Hallam and Arvid one afternoon while Ottah was at work and Melia was visiting her sick grandmother.

Although Elphaba had seen Fiyero interact with Tomaz, she couldn't deny that there was something that tugged at her heartstrings watching him interact with Ottah's children. And she certainly wasn't the only one that thought so, as she found out one Saturday.

Ottah had invited Fiyero, Frex and Tomaz on a day fishing trip with himself, his father and his brothers to Munchkin River. Melia had taken the opportunity to invite Elphaba, Nessa, Annalie and Nikita over for lunch, along with her sisters-in-law. And, apparently, so they could gossip about Fiyero, which was news to Elphaba.

"He is absolutely adorable with the boys," Melia gushed to her mother-in-law and Annalie. "Especially Hallam. Isn't he, Elphaba?"

Elphaba felt more than a little put on the spot. "He's good with kids," she said weakly.

"How long have you been dating now?" the wife of Ottah's eldest brother asked her eagerly.

Elphaba's cheeks flushed slightly. "Uh, it's six months on Friday."

"Is he taking you out somewhere special?" Nikita asked.

Elphaba chuckled. "Actually, I think I'm taking _him_ out," she said lightly. "He's letting me plan the night. Something about my having the home ground advantage."

She refused to say too much about her relationship with Fiyero, but she made up for any disappointment as she and Nessa recounted the story of Alivia and King once again to a fresh captive audience.

"Elphaba's going to write the story into a book," Nessa informed them proudly.

"No, I'm not," Elphaba immediately protested, frowning at her sister. "I'm going to write about it for the school paper. I'm just compiling notes at the moment."

Nessa looked at her sceptically. "That's not what Fiyero says," she said.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Although Elphaba had immediately dismissed Fiyero's suggestion of writing a book about the letters, she was dwelling on it more than she was willing to admit. It had been a few nights ago when she'd pulled out a blank notebook and began jotting down what they knew so far and other questions and information she wanted to know.

She had these questions listed as "background information to research" for the article, but the more information she spilled out onto the pages, the more she saw how easily this could transform into a book. And honestly, she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

When they returned to the house after lunch, Elphaba went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Annalie followed her into the room, sitting at the table.

"Have you decided where you and Fiyero will go for dinner on Friday night? Or what you're going to wear?"

Elphaba nodded as she lit the stove. "Yeah. I'm not planning anything too fancy. Do you think that matters?" she asked suddenly, a little anxiously. "Should I be doing something fancy?"

"Sweetheart, Fiyero loves you. I think he'd honestly be fine with staying here and eating sandwiches if that's what you planned," Annalie laughed.

Elphaba startled. "Did Nessa tell you that?" she demanded.

Annalie blinked. "Tell me what?"

"That- that Fiyero loves me."

It took Annalie a moment to connect the dots and then her face softened. "He told you he loves you?" she asked.

Elphaba nodded and Annalie pressed a hand to her lips as she beamed at her.

"Oh, Fabala," she sighed happily, getting up from her seat and moving over to her. "When?!"

Elphaba tucked a strand of hair that wasn't there behind her ear. "In the Emerald City," she said, playing with the end of her braid.

Annalie tried to stop herself from smiling but couldn't quite manage it.

"And you?" she asked gently.

Elphaba smiled softly. "I love him too," she said without hesitation.

Annalie smiled even wider and hugged Elphaba tightly.

"I am so glad," she whispered.

Elphaba chuckled as she pulled away. "If Nessa didn't tell you, how did you know?"

"Oh, I knew the first time we met him," Annalie replied, much to Elphaba's surprise.

Frex, Tomaz and Fiyero returned after it was dark, having caught absolutely nothing, but they didn't seem put off by that in the least and Fiyero and Tomaz still had plenty of stories to tell the girls when they returned.

"Fiyero reckons he had a big one that got away, but I think he made it up," Tomaz told his sisters wisely.

"It was there!" Fiyero insisted, sharing a grin with him.

Friday was not only Elphaba and Fiyero's six-month anniversary, but also Melena's birthday.

Elphaba and Frex visited the cemetery together in the morning after breakfast, where the letter that Elphaba left on her mother's grave that year was rather thicker than average. Elphaba hadn't really realised how much had happened in the past year until she wrote it down.

As she sat under the tree near the grave waiting for her father to finish talking to Melena, she frowned thoughtfully. She remembered so little of her mother, and while she'd heard many stories from Frex and Nikita, it was difficult to connect the stories with the flashes of memory she had.

"Papa," she spoke up hesitantly as Frex got to his feet and approached her. "Can I ask you something?"

She thought Frex looked a little wary before he agreed.

"Would Momma like Fiyero, do you think?"

Frex was visibly surprised.

"It's just, I don't really remember her," Elphaba explained quickly. "I just have a few odd flashes, and second-hand stories. It's hard to connect that with _her._ "

Frex paused and then carefully eased himself down onto the ground beside her. "I'm getting too old for this," he grumbled.

Elphaba smiled faintly as he sighed.

"Fabala, Fiyero loves you. So, yes, she'd like him," he said simply. "Of course, I'm sure that your mother would have other reasons. But from the moment you were born, all she hoped was that you would be happy and loved."

Frex frowned, his gaze a little distant as he reminisced. "About a month before Nessarose was born, your mother said something. At the time, I thought she was just emotional, but I've often wondered since if perhaps she knew on some level…"

Elphaba was very still. This story was new to her.

"She'd just put you to bed for the night," Frex recalled. "You weren't feeling well and it had taken her a while to get you settled. I think Nikita had offered to put you down, but you refused to have anyone but your mother."

"What did she say?" Elphaba asked cautiously.

"Your mother never worried about your capacity to love, but she worried very much about your ability to accept it. She wanted so badly for you to be able to love and be loved, in the hopes that it would make up for the fact that I… I couldn't."

Frex looked to his daughter remorsefully. "Knowing that Fiyero loves you and that you love him, she'd be thrillified."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did Anna tell you-?"

Frex smiled. "Yes. But Fiyero told me first. It was a very interesting fishing trip."

Elphaba didn't know what to say to that.

As they made to return to the house, Frex suddenly stopped walking and turned to her.

"What is it?" Elphaba asked him

Her father smiled sadly. "I was just thinking that you're not a little girl anymore. And then I realised, I'm not sure you were ever a little girl."

There was more than a tinge of guilt in his face as he hugged Elphaba tightly.

"I love you, Fabala."

Tears unexpectedly sprung to Elphaba's eyes as she hugged him back. "I know, Papa. I love you too."

That night, Elphaba and Fiyero had a lovely dinner at one of Elphaba's favourite restaurants in Munchkinland, one that was a little more formal than the _Apple Blossom Café,_ but still relaxed.

"Did I mention what today is?" she asked him as they were finishing up dinner.

The subject change was a little abrupt, given they'd just been discussing the upcoming Shiz semester, but Fiyero rolled with it.

"I assume you mean beyond Friday?" he guessed. "Or our anniversary?"

Elphaba laughed. "Yes."

"Then, no. But does it have something to do with where you disappeared to this morning?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah. Um, today is my mother's birthday."

Fiyero's face softened. "Oh, Fae."

"Papa and I went to visit her grave this morning," Elphaba explained.

Fiyero nodded, frowning slightly. "Ok."

Elphaba took a nervous breath. "And you don't have to, but I was wondering if I could show you something before we went back home?"

Fiyero agreed without hesitation.

It was only seven-thirty when they left the restaurant, and still relatively light outside. Elphaba led the way to the cemetery in silence, glad she'd made the decision to not to wear heels tonight.

They made their way to Melena's grave, and Elphaba bent down to retrieve the letter she'd left there that morning.

"I've never really gotten the point of talking to a tombstone," she said to Fiyero. "It just feels weird to me. So, every year for her birthday, I write my mother a letter. I tell her everything that happened in the past year and I leave the letter on her grave. Not that this is any less weird than talking to her grave, I know. But I do it anyway."

"Sure," Fiyero agreed. "What happens to the letters? They just sit there all year?"

Elphaba smiled. "Papa will come down tomorrow, take it and store it in a box in the safe in his study. He thinks I don't know, but I do."

Fiyero slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple softly.

"Am I mentioned in this year's letter?" he asked her after a moment.

She laughed. "You may be the majority of this year's letter," she confirmed.

Fiyero grinned. "You told your mom nice things about me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I wrote this last night," she explained. "Mostly I told her that I love you."

Fiyero nodded approvingly. "Those are good words."

Elphaba chuckled. She reached into her bag and pulled out a second letter.

"I wrote _this_ one this afternoon," she told him. "Because my father told me something this morning that I didn't know. Momma worried that because Papa couldn't love me, I wouldn't be able to accept it if I found it."

"My kind of love?" Fiyero checked and she smiled brightly at him.

"Your kind of love," she agreed softly.

She placed both letters against the tombstone before turning back to him. "So, I wanted to write a second letter this year. To tell her that I know I'm loved, so… she doesn't have to worry about it. I know that sounds kind of stupid-"

Fiyero kissed her sweetly. "It's not stupid, Fae," he told her.

He gestured towards the grave. "Do you mind if I say something to your mom?"

Elphaba eyebrow lifted slightly, but she shook her head and Fiyero squatted down before the tombstone.

"Hi, Mrs Thropp," he said politely, and Elphaba bit back a smile as she knelt down onto the grass beside him.

"I'm Fiyero Tiggular. And I just wanted to let you know that I am _ridiculously_ head over heels in love with your daughter."

Elphaba slipped her arm through the crook of his elbow, resting her head against his shoulder as he reached to lace his fingers through hers.

"She's my best friend," Fiyero continued. "She's beautiful, brilliant and she's completely changed my life. She's the most amazing person I know. And she is so, so loved."

Elphaba's grip on his hand tightened as she blinked back tears.

"What's even better," Fiyero continued. "Is that somehow she loves me too. And getting to be loved by her, is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

He glanced to Elphaba for a moment, before he returned his gaze to the tombstone, his face solemn.

"I promise that I'm never going to hurt her."

He kissed the top of Elphaba's head, and then paused. "Ok, my knees are hurting."

Elphaba laughed tearfully and rose to her feet, pulling him up with her.

"I love you," she whispered.

Fiyero gently wiped a tear away from her cheek, kissing her tenderly.

"I love you too, Fae."

Elphaba rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"Home?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"You going to work some more on the book tonight?"

"It's not-"

" _It's not a book_ , I know," Fiyero laughed at her. "I've heard you."

"So you're just choosing to ignore me then?" Elphaba asked him pointedly.

"Yes," he said cheerfully, grinning broadly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and led him from the cemetery.

 **AN. There is literally a restaurant in NY somewhere where wealthy people have a standing reservation.**

 **So, you got some Fiyeraba moments, Elphaba and Frex and Elphaba and Annalie! And a Fiyero/Nessa moment that I love.**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN. So you may have seen I posted a "cut scene" from UtEoT yesterday. A few people were disappointed that I never wrote the scene of Galinda joining the group for dinner when she and Elphaba became roommates, and requested to see it. And there's a lot of moments like that in here. I am taking prompts for this.**

 **Now here we go- Shiz Year Two!**

 **Chapter 26**

Elphaba loved the beginning of a new school year. New stationery, new books and she was energised for a new load of classes to begin. Fiyero was less enthused about classes, but happy to be back in a place where he could kiss his girlfriend any time he wanted without her parents being around.

Boq had come back to Shiz with them, for the sake of convenience. He had visited a few times once he had been invited over for dinner during Fiyero's stay, and Elphaba and Fiyero both privately commented on how much more relaxed Boq seemed outside of Shiz.

"Maybe there's more to it than just him being infatuated with Galinda?" Elphaba mused and Fiyero agreed.

And that wasn't the only surprise. Elphaba couldn't help but stare at Galinda in surprise when her roommate pulled out a book to read before going to sleep their first night back- not a romance novel, as was her usual reading preference, but a non-fiction book about Ozian life in the 1830s.

"I wanted to know more about what their lives would have been like," Galinda explained. "Alivia and everyone. Link recommended this one for me. His mother is a History professor at the Central Emerald College, you know."

"I did not know that," Elphaba replied, climbing into bed herself. "So, you're still in touch with him then?"

Galinda nodded nonchalantly and returned to her book, although she appeared to be blushing faintly. Elphaba hid a smile as she picked up her own book to read.

Even before the semester officially started, everyone on campus seemed to be talking about the news that this year was the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Shiz opening their doors. There were posters plastered all over campus to announce the anniversary, but it was only on the first morning of classes that Madame Morrible announced the first event of the academic year to festivate the occasion.

There would be a dance held in November at _The OzDust Ballroom,_ a full formal affair to which important alumni would be invited. And the date just happened to fall on November twenty-first, what would be Elphaba and Fiyero's ten-month anniversary.

Knowing that the _OzDust_ was not Elphaba's scene, and she had not set foot in the place since arriving at Shiz, Fiyero had expected a fierce battle to convince her to go. He had prepared arguments and bribes in preparation of broaching the topic with her and was all ready to go when she came by his suite on Monday afternoon.

Elphaba only had one class on Mondays that semester, and Fiyero had no classes at all. When Elphaba discoverated he still hadn't unpacked his things, she took it upon herself to get him organised.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to a large box.

Fiyero grinned. "Open it."

Elphaba did so and she laughed. "Kitchen things?"

He shrugged. "The basics. At least so people can make tea."

Elphaba giggled. "People? Not you?"

"I don't drink tea, why would I make it?" Fiyero asked pointedly.

That seemed fair to Elphaba and she took the box over to the kitchen to unpack it.

"Can you cook _anything?"_ she asked him.

"Toast? Maybe?"

Elphaba could cook the basics, between Nikita and Annalie's teachings.

Fiyero moved to stand on the other side of the counter, leaning on his elbows and watching as she unpacked the crockery from the box onto the sink so that she could wash them quickly before storing them in the cupboards.

"So, this dance."

Elphaba glanced at him. "Yes?"

"Will you go?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Is this you asking me to go?"

"Maybe," Fiyero replied nonchalantly and she rolled her eyes.

He grinned. "Fine. Elphaba, will you go to the dance with me?"

She smiled. "Yes," she nodded. "I will."

Fiyero brightened. "Really? Wow, that was easier than I thought it was going to be."

Elphaba rolled her eyes again. "I don't love parties," she admitted readily. "But this is a big event, right? It could be… fun."

"That almost sounds convincing," Fiyero teased her and she laughed.

"Shut up. Come wipe these dishes as I wash them, will you?"

Fiyero made a face but obeyed.

"I really think it will be fun, Fae. At the very least, the _OzDust_ has good food. And you could meet important alumni, right? It could be good for networking or something. And it's a chance to get all dressed up," he said convincingly as she filled the sink. "Which I know isn't your favourite thing, but it could still be fun."

"Yero, I said I'd go. You don't need to sell me on it," Elphaba replied amusedly.

"Yes, but I'd already thought up all these arguments I thought I'd need," Fiyero admitted. "I should at least get some use out of them, right?"

Elphaba laughed, turning off the water. "Sure. What other arguments did you have?"

Fiyero grinned slowly and slid over to stand behind her, pressing his lips to a spot behind her ear. Elphaba stilled and then melted under his touch.

"A very compelling argument," she said faintly.

Fiyero hummed and moved closer, sliding his arms around her hips.

" _Yero,"_ she breathed.

He gently turned her around and kissed her, pressing her against the countertop.

"The dishes can wait," he murmured.

She nodded in agreement and he led her away from the sink.

His most compelling argument was also a very useful distraction.

Despite the dance not being until November, Galinda was already thinking about her dress, as were many other girls. Elphaba was more concerned with her classes for the term and the _Gazette._ This would be Rais's last year; which meant that he was determined that every issue of the _Gazette_ published that year would be the best ever.

"It's the anniversary year as well," he told the staff during their first meeting of the semester on Tuesday morning.

"So, it's going to be a _big_ year. We'll have a lot of events to cover, and I want to try and incorporate a lot of history of the past hundred and fifty years throughout the year. I want the past, present and future of Shiz and the _Gazette_ to be seen side by side in every issue. I want every issue we publish this year to be so amazing that they display them for the _next_ hundred and fifty years."

Rais studied them all severely. "Is that clear to everyone?"

There were a few nods and murmurs of agreements.

"Excellent," Rais declared. "Now, I'd like to thank the senior writers who came in last week to put out yesterday's issue. Reminder that we're having weekly meetings on _Tuesdays_ this year. Hopefully over the next few weeks we'll get some new recruits, and I hope everyone will be welcoming and helpful. I'm going to give out assignments for the next issue now. If anyone has a nine o'clock class this morning, let me know now so I can grab you first."

Neither Elphaba nor Boq had an early class that day, and Galinda hadn't bothered to turn up for the meeting at all. She'd still been in bed when Elphaba had left their dorm room that morning. They were chatting quietly when Rais finally made his way over to them.

"Good morning," he greeted them brightly. "How was your summer?"

"Good, thanks. How was yours?" Boq replied.

"Good, good," Rais nodded enthusiastically. "I worked mostly. Now, Boq."

Elphaba waited patiently as Boq was given his first story assignment for the school year, until Rais turned to her with a smile.

"Alright, I saved you something good to start off the year," he told her.

"Great," Elphaba replied, grabbing her notepad to take notes.

They discussed the assignment for a little bit, Rais giving the run down of what he wanted and a few leads on sources. Then he looked up.

"Hey, how did that story you were working on last semester turn out? About the former student?"

Elphaba was a little surprised that he'd remembered. "Oh, that. Well… I'm not sure if there's a _story_ there," she said slowly. "But I suppose I could do a profile piece… there's some more information I'd need, but-"

"Great, can you get me a draft in two weeks?" Rais cut her off.

"Sure," Elphaba agreed.

Rais nodded. "Great," he said again and made to leave. Then he clicked his fingers and turned back to her.

"One more thing. Galinda. Is she planning on staying with us this year?"

"I don't know," Elphaba said honestly. "I'll ask her," she promised.

Rais nodded again and walked away.

Elphaba sighed heavily turning to face Boq. "I doubt she'll stay on the paper," she said. "She's already complaining how overworked she's going to be. She's doing _three_ classes this semester and she's got them all scheduled to give herself a five-day weekend. How overworked can she possibly be?" she demanded.

Boq chuckled. "Everyone I've spoken to says the second year is much less stressful," he said. "There's no pressure of graduation, but you're not trying as many classes as you do in first year. It's more settled."

"I guess my schedule is a little lighter this year," Elphaba agreed thoughtfully.

Boq frowned. "You went from six classes to five."

Elphaba laughed. "I said a _little_ lighter."

She'd cut down her workload to just her law classes and two literature classes "for fun". She'd wondered if she would feel a little regret about not taking a writing class this semester, but at the moment all she felt was relief that she would not have to force herself to write.

"Um, I saw Nessa this morning," Boq said. "When I stopped on the way here to get coffee. She said you're having a dinner on Friday night."

Elphaba nodded. "Yes. Fiyero's suite has a kitchen area," she explained. "I'm going to make sure it's actually used."

Boq nodded.

"He won't be doing the cooking," Elphaba hastened to add. "Otherwise we'd starve or be poisoned. But that's the plan."

Boq looked a little awkward. "Nessa kind of invited me. Is that okay?"

Elphaba regarded him curiously for a moment but nodded. "Sure."

Boq smiled. "Thanks, Elphaba."

"No worries," Elphaba replied and turned back to her work, trying to work out what she was going to write about for this story.

Dinner had been planned the night before when Elphaba had told Nessa that Fiyero's kitchen was now stocked.

"At least well enough to make tea," she'd rolled her eyes.

Fiyero wasn't there, but Nessa figured there was a joke between them involved in that comment.

It was only going to be Fiyero, Elphaba, Nessarose, Xia and Galinda, so it was no trouble to include Boq.

Just after noon, Galinda arrived at the _Gazette_ office and appeared at Elphaba's desk.

"Hi!"

Elphaba glanced up from her notes at her roommate. "Hi. How was your first class of the semester?"

Galinda shrugged. "It was fine. _Listen,"_ she said, dragging Boq's empty chair over to Elphaba's desk so she could sit on it.

"About dinner on Friday night. Can we change it to Saturday?"

Elphaba frowned. "Didn't we decide to have it on Friday because _you_ wanted to go to _The OzDust_ with your friends on Saturday night?"

"Yes. _But_ I got a letter from Link this morning, and he was talking about coming to visit, but he works Fridays. He wouldn't make it here in time for dinner."

"So, take him to _The OzDust."_

Galinda grimaced. "I don't know if that's his scene," she said slowly. "And… I'd rather we spend time with you and Fiyero than Pfannee and ShenShen."

Elphaba's first thought was that Galinda was worried Pfannee or ShenShen would like him and try and make a move. And then she realised Galinda was worried her friends _wouldn't_ like Link. The young clerk wasn't exactly Galinda's usual type.

Elphaba bit back a smile. "I'm sure we can move dinner," she agreed. "Nessa's invited Boq too."

"Oh good," Galinda said a little distantly.

Elphaba chuckled and then had an idea. "When you write to Link and invite him to dinner, do you think he'd be able to bring me copies of more records?"

Galinda shrugged blankly. "I can ask?" she offered. "What kind of records?"

Elphaba sighed. "I still have to write this profile on Alivia for the paper, but there's still so much we don't know. I don't know when she was born, or died, what she did for a living. Was she just a society wife once she married Blaze? Do I mention King? What if she still has… grandchildren? Great-grandchildren?"

She paused, trying to calculate how old any children or grandchildren of Alivia would be now. It made her head hurt, so she stopped.

"If she has any descendants, they may not know about this. Would you want to find out that your grandmother almost eloped with someone else and potentially only married your grandfather to save your family from ruin?"

Galinda looked thoughtful. "I never thought about that. And you don't want to publish theories either, I suppose."

"I'd rather not," Elphaba agreed. "But I can't think of a way to prove it, either."

"Give me a list of what you want to know, and I'll send it to Link when I write him back this afternoon," Galinda offered.

Elphaba immediately started scribbling notes.

"Are you going to keep your column this year?" she asked as she wrote.

"Of course!" Galinda said. "I helped so many people last year. Including _you,_ remember?"

Elphaba fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, if you're going to do it, you might want to tell Rais. And maybe actually show up for meetings?" she suggested.

Galinda sniffed. "Maybe I'd show up for meetings if they weren't at the crack of dawn."

Elphaba _did_ roll her eyes at that, as she handed her the list of questions. "Here you are. Thank you. And thank Link for me, please?"

Galinda nodded. "Sure. Ok, see you later."

"Bye."

Typically, attending an eight thirty meeting for newspaper business was too difficult; but Galinda had no worries getting up early the following morning when the new issue of _OzBeat Magazine_ went on sale. She was up and out the door before Elphaba was even out of bed, who's first class wasn't until ten o'clock.

This was the first time Elphaba and Fiyero would have classes together, as he had picked up a few second-year law classes- the ones that "might be useful in running a kingdom" as he'd explained it to Elphaba. Constitutional law was one of those.

"Why do I feel like this is going to be the real test of our relationship?" Elphaba asked him teasingly as they took their seats.

Fiyero laughed. "Six months of dating with no major arguments, but having class together is a make or break situation?"

"If you distract me during the lecture, possibly."

"Don't worry," Fiyero reassured her. "I'll stop turning up in a few weeks. I am _kidding,_ don't look at me like that," he rolled his eyes.

Fiyero ensured that he was on his best behaviour for the class. He didn't pester Elphaba and even took notes- although not as numerous nor as detailed as Elphaba's.

"What do you think?" Elphaba asked him at the end of the lesson.

He shrugged. "Too early to tell I think. I'm starving though. Want to grab some food? You've got time before your next class, right?"

"I've got an hour," Elphaba agreed.

"What's that one?"

"Property law."

Fiyero made a face. "Thank Oz I'm not doing that one. Do you really want to be a property lawyer?"

Elphaba laughed. "Probably not. But it's a mandatory class, I had no choice."

As they left the classroom, Elphaba was surprised to find Galinda waiting for them, her face alight with excitement.

" _Finally!"_ she exclaimed. "I've been waiting _forever."_

"Why?" Elphaba asked, a little alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. _Look."_

She thrust something into Elphaba's face, who jerked away so she could actually see what it was. It was the new issue of _OzBeat_ magazine, and she was staring at a picture of Fiyero's face which graced the cover.

Fiyero groaned as he saw it, but Elphaba just gaped at the headline, speechless.

' _Fiyero in love! Meet the girl who's tamed the scandalacious prince'_

"That is a horrendible photo of me," Fiyero complained.

Galinda was bouncing on her heels. "Isn't this exciting?! It's finally here!"

An odd noise came from Elphaba, but Fiyero frowned at Galinda.

"Finally?" he repeated. "Wait, you _knew_ about this?"

Galinda frowned too. "Of course. They wrote to me in June, asking for a quote. Didn't they talk to you?"

"No," Fiyero shook his head. He glanced at Elphaba, who still looked shocked. "Somehow, I don't think they spoke to Fae either."

He placed a hand on the small of her back. "Fae, come on. This was going to happen sooner or later," he tried to reassure her.

" _This?"_ Elphaba demanded, showing him the magazine. " _This_ was going to happen sooner or later?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Well, I figured _The Chronicle_ would pick it up first, and not a magazine primarily read by teenage girls, but yes?"

" _Read the article!"_ Galinda insisted impatiently, bouncing on her heels once more.

"Maybe let's not do it in the middle of the hallway, though," Fiyero said.

He directed them to the dining hall, ruefully recalling only then that he'd never broached the subject with Elphaba what would happen when the press discoverated their relationship. He'd meant to, but somehow kept getting distracted. The conversation would possibly be a little redundant now, he figured.

Once they were seated in the dining hall, Fiyero took the magazine from Elphaba and read the article.

It wasn't anything terrible, Fiyero was glad to see. It simply stated that he and Elphaba were dating, gave a little background on who she was, and did a recap of Fiyero's dating history before asking the big question- was Elphaba 'The One'?

" _Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands_ ," Fiyero read aloud. " _Elphaba's roommate and close friend of the couple, certainly thinks that she is. 'I think it helps that they were friends first. They have something really special.'"_

The article was accompanied by a photo of Fiyero at an event with his parents early in the summer, and an alarmingly clear photograph of Fiyero and Elphaba that had clearly been taken during their visit to the Emerald City.

Elphaba rested her elbows on the table, her hands pushing her hair back and gripping her head tightly as she stared at the article as Fiyero laid the magazine on the table before them.

"Fae?" he asked cautiously. "You ok?"

"I'm trying to find a silver lining here," she said distantly.

"And?"

Elphaba paused. "Your hands aren't on my ass?" she finally offered. "There's nothing I'm going to have to awkwardly explain to my parents."

Fiyero looked at the picture again. Sure enough, his hands were clearly and firmly on her waist.

"That works," he said.

Galinda tapped the photograph with one finger. "When was this taken?"

"Our last night in the Emerald City," Fiyero answered. "On our way back from dinner, I guess."

Galinda sighed a little. "I do love that dress, Elphie. You know, it's quite a beautiful photo," she said in what was clearly meant to be a comforting tone to Elphaba.

Elphaba stared at her blankly.

"It is!" Galinda insisted. "It's not blurry, it's a flattering angle, you've got good lighting, the way your heads are tilted close together… what more could you want from a photo?"

"Um, _not_ to be photographed unknowingly by some stranger?" Elphaba suggested.

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "Well, there is that," she acknowledged.

Elphaba read the article once more and looked back to Galinda.

"' _Close friend of the couple,"_ she quoted.

Galinda's blue eyes widened. "Am I not a close friend?"

Elphaba thought about it. "I guess so," she said, a little surprised.

Fiyero cleared his throat hesitantly. "I hate to be the one to mention this, but this is just the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Galinda asked him.

Fiyero looked to Elphaba. "Now that it's news, there'll be more news," he reminded her.

"Worse than this?" Elphaba asked him.

"It's hard to say," Fiyero shrugged. "I've never… had a relationship this long before," he said lamely.

"So what?" Galinda demanded. "It'll be news for a week or so, and then they'll move on. It's just a few articles."

Elphaba was frowning at Fiyero thoughtfully but then turned back to Galinda.

"Maybe you're right," she said doubtfully.

She shoved the magazine across the table to Galinda and pushed back her chair.

"I need to get to class."

It wasn't quite time for her next class yet, but Fiyero rose to his feet anyway. "I'll walk you," he said.

They bid Galinda farewell and left the dining hall, without ever getting their coffee. Elphaba didn't seem to notice or care.

"Usually it goes one of two ways," Fiyero broke the silence as they crossed the courtyard. "Either I'd meet a girl, and suddenly the papers are saying that we're together and we're crazy about each other, whatever. Or I'd be dating a girl a few weeks, maybe a month max. And there's suddenly rumours that I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and then there's the big debate about whether this girl is suitable to be queen one day."

"Ok," Elphaba said slowly. "But we've been dating for over six months. Known each other for what, eight months? Why only now?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Maybe there's something to the theory that Shiz is in a bubble?" he said. "Maybe I've been to so many schools now that when I came to Shiz, no one was interested. But once we were out in the City, or Munchkinland, it's different."

Elphaba was frowning. "Maybe no one took it seriously."

Fiyero's brow creased. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said. "Maybe when you first came to Shiz, and we became friends, no one took it seriously. I didn't," she confessed.

"I figured you were new and didn't know anyone yet, and I was there and _green_ and different. And in a few days, you'd make actual friends I wouldn't be the new shiny distraction anymore and you'd get bored and move on."

Fiyero gaped at her, stopping in his tracks.

" _What?"_

Elphaba paused too. "Yero, come on. Does that really surprise you?"

Fiyero frowned, thinking about it. "I guess not," he conceded reluctantly. "How long did that theory last? What changed?"

"Well, you kissing me was a big clue," she said dryly. "But I guess it was when you went to the city for spring vacation and told me how bored you'd been. I realised then that maybe you weren't about to get bored of me."

They'd been dating for a month at the time, Fiyero realised, mildly horrified. As Elphaba started walking again, Fiyero fell into step beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"You know you're stuck with me now, right?" he asked her lowly.

"Well, damn," Elphaba quipped, smiling faintly.

As they neared the classroom, Fiyero just had one more question and gently drew her to a stop.

"You're not… disappointed that I didn't get bored?"

Elphaba stared at him blankly for a moment, before she leaned up and kissed him deeply.

"You're an idiot," she murmured.

Fiyero grinned and drew her to him again until she finally broke away.

"I need to get to class," she said, slightly breathless.

Fiyero kissed her again. "Yeah, ok," he nodded. "I'm heading back to my room. Come by after? Or do you need to study?"

"I've got some reading to do. I can probably do that in your room, if there's no distractions," Elphaba said, raising an eyebrow knowingly.

Fiyero grinned. "I make no promises," he told her.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and disappeared into the classroom.

 **AN. And Fiyeraba are out of the bubble. Let's see where this goes.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

The _OzBeat_ article was just the beginning.

It started with _The Chronicle,_ the newspaper of the Vinkus, doing a piece on _"Who Is Elphaba Thropp?"_ , which Elphaba thought was a ridiculous piece to write, let alone that it should go for two pages. The article went through her family, studies and included interviews and quotes from Munchkins, fellow students and even teachers, both former and current.

"Wow," Galinda remarked upon reading it. "Your life is not interesting, Elphie."

Elphaba stared at her. "Thank you, Galinda."

"It's nice to know you've always been a nerd," Fiyero teased her.

She glared at him exasperatedly. "I wouldn't start with me Tiggular," she warned him. "I know a lot about you that you wouldn't like to get out."

Fiyero mimed zipping his lips shut, although he continued to grin at her, his eyes twinkling.

Elphaba wasn't thrillified with the article, but it wasn't horrendible. No one quoted in the article said anything too alarming or personal. The most negative comment was from a few students and even one or two Munchkins saying how surprised they were to discoverate Fiyero and Elphaba were dating.

Fiyero was more annoyed about the comments than Elphaba was.

"Congratulotions!" Rais greeted her a week later as she entered the _Gazette_ office.

Elphaba paused in her steps. "Any chance you're talking about the draft on my profile about Alivia Benitz?" she asked.

"Er, no," Rais pointed at her. "I do have notes for you on that, though. We'll talk in a minute."

Elphaba frowned. "Ok, so why am I being congratulated?"

He handed her a copy of that morning's issue of _The Chronicle,_ opened to a page.

"Wait," Elphaba gaped at the paper. "This is _my_ article."

Specifically, it was the feature interview she'd done with Fiyero back in January. Rais nodded, beaming at her.

"Yeah! They bought the article! Isn't that great?"

Elphaba spluttered slightly. "They- oh."

"You should be thrillified!" Rais told her. "Junior writers rarely get articles picked up."

Elphaba flicked back a page and she chuckled humourlessly, her heart sinking. " _Once Upon a Time,"_ she read aloud. " _The origins of the love story between Elphaba and Fiyero._ Rais, they didn't reprint the article because they think it's _good._ The reprinted it because I'm dating Fiyero."

"But they reprinted it," Rais retorted. "Who cares why they picked it up?"

"I care!" Elphaba protested.

Rais shrugged carelessly. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. From _my_ perspective, it's great. Can we talk about your article?"

Elphaba sighed glumly and shoved the copy of _The Chronicle_ into her bookbag.

"Sure," she agreed. "What about it?"

Rais led her over to his desk and grabbed a paper from his desk. "Right. Your research is good, as always. But, what happens? She drops out of Shiz and gets married. Then what?"

Elphaba grimaced. "I'm working on that," she promised. "I'm following some leads."

Or rather, she had Link following some leads for her, digging through the archives at the Hall of Records in between his other duties at work. When they'd told him the story of the letters during the dinner when he'd come to visit Galinda, he'd been utterly fascinated and had promised to help any way he could.

"Fine," Rais agreed. "But I'm missing a hook. Something that tells me why I should care about her life story. You know?"

Elphaba nodded. "I know."

She'd had the same thought when writing it.

"Also," Rais continued. "The first alumni visit for the anniversary festivations is Eggaston Crewe. The author? Someone else is going to interview him while he's here, but I need someone to cover the reading and speech. Can you do it? It's next Saturday, the twenty-sixth."

Elphaba nodded. "Sure. I was going to go anyway."

"Great. Alright, I've got a class. See you."

"Bye," Elphaba said distantly.

She was too bothered about _The Chronicle_ article to have a second go at writing the article right then, so instead she took Rais's notes and went back to her dorm room.

"What's with you?" Galinda asked, painting her nails with some kind of glittery, pink polish.

Elphaba tossed the paper onto her bed.

"They reprinted the interview I did with Fiyero last semester," Elphaba said bitterly.

Galinda frowned. "Wait, your article got printed in a _real_ newspaper? Wouldn't that be, like, a _good_ thing? Why do you not sound happy about this?"

Elphaba slumped onto her bed with a sigh. "Because they've only published it as part of this," she said, flicking back to the other page. "To talk about how Fiyero and I met. They didn't publish it because they think it's a good interview or I'm a good writer, otherwise they would have picked it up when it first came out."

"But they picked it up," Galinda said slowly. "Isn't that the important thing?"

"No!" Elphaba replied. "Galinda, I want to _earn_ things. If I get stories published in bigger papers, I want it to be because I'm a good writer. Not because I'm dating the subject of the article."

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "That wouldn't happen too often though," she pointed out.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"I know that's not your point," Galinda added. "But… Elphie, you should still be happy about this."

Elphaba sighed heavily. "I guess."

It was Galinda's turn to roll her eyes.

"Elphie. This is hardly the most horrendible thing that could happen," she pointed out. "Wait until the tabloids start running stories. I mean, have you _seen_ the kinds of stories they write about Fiyero?"

"No. I don't read tabloids," Elphaba said.

"Well, trust me. _That's_ what you should be worried about," Galinda predicted.

She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed a pile of magazines.

"Here," she said, handing them to Elphaba. "Study these."

Elphaba frowned at the magazines. " _Oz Weekly, Star, Hot Goss, The Source._ These magazines are all full of crap," she complained, scanning the headlines. " _This_ is not journalism."

Galinda rolled her eyes.

"Just read them."

Elphaba flicked through them reluctantly.

Galinda used one freshly painted finger to point at the cover story from the most recent issue of _The Source._

"This couple, Zimri and Luce? In the past month, according to these magazines, they've broken up three times, he's proposed twice and she's pregnant. Now, is any of this true? Of course not. But people read it because it _might_ be true. And eventually something _will_ be true, and they'll be able to say they called it first."

"Galinda, I know how tabloids work and the kind of crap they write," Elphaba said tiredly. "I'd just rather they didn't write this crap about me."

"You're in the public eye now, Elphie. You can't avoid it," Galinda advised.

Sure enough, the next issue of _The Source_ that came out that Friday announced Elphaba and Fiyero's breakup, apparently because Fiyero was "feeling suffocated by the seriousness of the relationship."

 _Hot Goss_ got the story of the Valentine's Day Bonfire and how Pinar had destroyed Elphaba's book. "Sources" claimed that it was an act of jealousy, that Pinar and Fiyero had once dated and he'd broken her heart. That led _The Munchkinland Post_ to publish Elphaba's winning story that she'd written at sixteen, and to interview Dr Farley about her writing skills.

Pinar gave an "exclusive" interview to _Star_ about rooming with Elphaba, and her story of the bonfire. She insisted again that it had been an accident, she was truly sorry but Elphaba had refused to accept her apology. That pissed Elphaba off more than anything, but it was perhaps the only tabloid article that students on campus immediately dismissed as rubbish. Rumour had it Pinar had been paid handsomely for giving the interview, which was deemed "tactless" by Galinda and prompted a not-so-subtle rant in her next column.

"You broke up again," Boq announced, tossing a copy of _Star_ onto Elphaba's desk in the _Gazette_ office on the last Monday in September.

Fiyero, who was sitting in Elphaba's chair with his feet up on the desk, looked up from his Economics textbook.

"Well, that sucks," he remarked. "I only proposed on Friday."

Elphaba, sitting on the floor surrounded by papers she was organising, glared at him.

"What was the condition for letting you sit at my desk?"

"That I do something useful," Fiyero quoted with a sigh. "I'm doing my reading, aren't I? It's so early to read."

"It's a quarter past ten," Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well Boq interrupted me and now I've lost my place."

He handed the magazine to Elphaba, who merely grimaced and shook her head, refusing to take it.

"I hate the press," she grumbled.

"Babe, you _are_ the press," Fiyero retorted, flicking through the magazine.

He felt her gaze on him and raised his eyes.

"No 'babe'?" he guessed.

She made a face. "I don't think so," she said.

He shrugged. "Alright. Just trying it out."

Fiyero looked to Boq. "How many is this?"

"Er, I think this is the third breakup," Boq replied. "Apparently this time, you cheated with Galinda."

Fiyero scoffed. "Yeah, because _that_ would work."

"I saw Galinda on the way here. She was rushing off to warn Link," Boq told them.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Link has too much common sense to believe this crap. Which is more than I can say for some our classmates."

The photos that appeared every time she and Fiyero ventured off campus and into town were annoying and put her on edge. She was beginning to dread leaving campus, although Fiyero kept telling her to ignore them.

"I can't ignore them," Elphaba protested. "I can't go get a cup of coffee without some crappy tabloid saying that I'm not sleeping because we're on the verge of breaking up!"

The worst part of the constant articles was the fact at least half the student population seemed to believe whatever rumours were printed. When _Hot Goss_ announced that Fiyero had proposed and was fighting with his parents over it, who disapproved of Elphaba; Elphaba had spent all morning tiredly repeating that they were _not_ engaged. It was stressing her out, and Fiyero hated it.

"Is there anything else out today we should know of?" Elphaba asked.

" _Oz Weekly_ is out today," Fiyero said.

"I haven't heard about anything in that," Boq shook his head. He looked down at Elphaba. "Did you still want me to proofread your story on the Eggaston Crewe thing?"

"Yes, please," Elphaba said gratefully. "It's on the desk. Under Fiyero's feet," she sighed, raising her eyebrow pointedly at her boyfriend.

Fiyero lifted his feet slightly so that Boq could grab the article but didn't move them down from the table.

Elphaba left half an hour later for her Literature class, leaving Fiyero and Boq discussing the best and worst story published in the past few weeks. Elphaba couldn't quite bring herself to take it so lightly just yet, but then again, Fiyero had been dealing with this for years. Aside from her birth and Melena's death, the only press Elphaba had had over the years was for family events or pictures at public events with her father.

Without Elphaba around, Fiyero grew bored of hanging around the _Gazette_ office.

"Want to get some lunch?" he suggested to Boq.

Only a flicker of surprise crossed Boq's face before he nodded. They'd been spending more time with Boq this semester, who was noticeably more relaxed this year, even around Galinda. He'd barely blinked at the news that Galinda was dating Link. Elphaba and Fiyero had a few theories as to why. Fiyero thought he was interested in someone else. Elphaba thought he'd just finally accepted Galinda wasn't interested in him.

The boys headed over to the dining hall to get lunch. Boq had suggested they go into town, but Fiyero declined.

"I'm having a bad hair day. I don't need that to make the front page of _The Source's_ next issue," he joked to Boq.

At the end of the class, Elphaba returned to Crage Hall intending to work on some assignments and maybe have another go at the Alivia profile for the paper.

It was the most trouble she'd had writing an article in a long time, and it frustrated her to no end.

"Writing for the paper is one of the _few_ things I can do since losing the book," she'd ranted to Fiyero the night before. "I can't be stuck on this too, I will go _mad."_

Fiyero was sympathetic, but his sympathy only annoyed Elphaba in this mood, so she'd retreated to the library.

"Miss Elphaba?"

Elphaba stalled halfway up the first flight of stairs, turning to see Xia standing behind her.

"Oh, hi Xia," she greeted her.

"Could you come with me for a moment?" Xia asked her soberly.

Elphaba frowned. "Is Nessa ok?"

Xia hesitated. "Just come," she said.

Elphaba adjusted her book bag on her shoulder and hurried back down the stairs, following Xia to Nessa's room. When they entered the room, she found Nessa, Galinda, Boq and Fiyero there. Nessa's face was red and blotchy and Fiyero was watching her concernedly. Galinda was looking at Elphaba as though she'd never seen her before.

"What's going on?" Elphaba asked.

 _Was Boq holding Nessa's hand?_ She noted absently, frowning slightly.

A trickle of fear pooled in Elphaba's stomach and she looked at Nessa fearfully.

"Did you get news from home?" she asked her sister, immediately wondering if something had happened to their grandparents.

Nessa's brow creased for a moment and then she shook her head hastily. "Oh, no," she reassured her. "No, it's not that."

"Then _what?"_ Elphaba demanded.

The other's gaze all went to Galinda who silently handed Elphaba a copy of the new _Oz Weekly._

A large photo of her face greeted Elphaba as she took in the cover. The headline screamed _The Real Story of Elphaba Thropp: The Family Tragedy, Secrets and Scandals._

Elphaba gaped at it breathlessly, feeling like something had hit her hard in the back.

"It's everything," Nessa whispered tearily. "They talk about everything."

"What's _everything?"_ Elphaba replied.

' _Everything'_ was the story of her birth. It detailed the circumstances of Nessa's birth and Melena's death, and Elphaba's childhood and relationship with Frex until Annalie's arrival. It then dropped the 'bombshell' of Frex remarrying to his daughters' governess.

Elphaba sank weakly onto Nessa's bed as she read the article.

There was no so-called "sources", "insiders" or "close friends" here. They had interviews with doctors about why Elphaba may have been born green; the effect of milkflowers, both on Nessarose and Melena and why it may have been theorised to prevent Nessa from being green (if indeed it was a genetic abnormality). There was also an interview with Nessa's former caretaker Valeria, who had preceded Annalie. She spoke about how Frex treated Elphaba in her youth and what Elphaba was like as a child. She was less than flattering in her description.

"I knew she never liked me," Elphaba murmured numbly.

Nessa's eyes filled with fresh tears. "Fabala, I'm so sorry. I never realised it was that bad between you and Papa."

"Did he really _hate_ you?" Galinda whispered in horror.

It was only then Elphaba realised she'd never told Galinda about her childhood before Annalie had come into their lives.

Elphaba hesitated. "He never outright told me that," she said slowly. "But I think so."

Silence fell. Fiyero sat on the bed beside her and made to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but Elphaba shrugged away.

"Why is this news?" she demanded of him. "Why does us dating have anything to do with all of this?"

"It doesn't," Fiyero said honestly. "People just suck, babe."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Just making sure 'babe' is definishly not working," he said quickly.

Elphaba leaned forward and buried her face in her hands, feeling rather ill.

Fiyero hesitantly placed a hand on her back, rubbing it gently.

"It's going to be ok, Fae," he promised her.

"How?" she asked in muffled tones.

Fiyero stalled and glanced at the others helplessly.

No one said anything.

Elphaba straightened up. "I need some air," she said.

She grabbed her book bag and left the room, magazine still in hand. Fiyero followed her immediately, hurrying to catch up with her.

"I can deal with them printing crap about me," she said as he fell into step beside her. "But now they're talking about my _family."_

"I know," Fiyero said quietly.

"My childhood wasn't the best," Elphaba admitted readily. "But Papa has _changed._ And this isn't gossip for all of Oz. It's bad enough all of Munchkinland knows what it used to be like."

"I'll write to my parents," Fiyero offered. "Maybe Dad will know of something we can do."

Elphaba rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I just… I can't," she said.

Fiyero's heart skipped- and not in a good way. "Can't- can't what?"

Elphaba didn't answer, she just turned and walked away with a shake of her head, leaving Fiyero staring after her. He knew better than to follow her right now.

Fiyero sent an express to his parents that night, asking for advice. He didn't know what to do anymore.

' _It's stressing Elphaba out,'_ he wrote. _'We can't leave campus without attracting attention, and if we don't leave campus, we get accused of having something to hide. This is just the last straw.'_

What he didn't tell his parents was just how it was impacting his relationship with Elphaba. The end of the summer and the first week of semester had been blissful. Since they'd exchanged _"I love you",_ it had been perfect. But once the frequent tabloid articles started appearing, she'd withdrawn from him somewhat. If they went off campus, she tensed if he did anything more than hold her hand.

She was eating less and he knew, both from the circles under her eyes and Galinda's hushed reports that she wasn't sleeping well. Fiyero was out of ideas beyond "ignore them" which he knew wasn't terribly helpful advice.

Before all this, he'd been discussing with Palo his friend coming to Shiz with his girlfriend Brynn so that they could meet Elphaba. Fiyero had written to his friend only yesterday to ask for a raincheck on the visit.

' _Fae's having a hard time at the moment with all the press attention, and I'm trying to limit her stress as much as I can,'_ he'd explained. _'I know she really wants to meet you and Brynn, but if you don't mind, can we wait until things have calmed down a bit?'_

He was sure Palo would understand.

The article spread around campus like wildfire. There were more whispers and stares than Elphaba had heard since the first semester of Shiz. But the tone of the whispers had changed, sounding more like the whispers Elphaba remembered from her childhood in Munchkinland.

The reply from his parents came on Wednesday morning, and Fiyero took it along to their constitutional law class to show Elphaba. Except Elphaba never showed up to class.

The last time Elphaba had skipped a class had been after the bonfire, so he was under no illusions that she'd merely overslept or something simple like that. After class he hurried over to her dorm room. Galinda answered to his knock, her face grim.

"Hey, where's Fae? Is she ok?"

Galinda dropped her voice to a whisper. "You didn't see the _Post_ this morning?"

"No… I don't surprise the headline was very positive and happy?" Fiyero guessed apprehensively.

Galinda disappeared for a moment and returned with a newspaper in hand.

"There's an editorial about her father. Something about whether he should be stood down as Governor for what he did to Elphie when she was little. 'Emotional abuse' they're saying. They're asking if someone who abuses their child should be Governor. Elphie was literally sick when she saw it," she whispered.

Fiyero felt a little ill himself as he read it. And more than a little angry.

"Oh, so _now_ the Munchkins give a crap how she was treated?" he muttered and then looked up at Galinda.

"Can I see her, please?"

Galinda glanced over her shoulder into the room, nodded and then allowed Fiyero into the room. Elphaba was curled up tightly on her bed, the look in her eyes almost frightening. The dark circles under her eyes stood out even more vividly in her pale face.

Galinda looked between them for a moment, then grabbed her bag and jacket from the bed. "I'm going to go… out," she said. "Bye."

"See ya, Glin," Fiyero replied as the door shut behind her.

He crouched down beside Elphaba's bed and gently smoothed back her hair from her face.

"Are you ok?"

Elphaba opened her mouth, closed it and simply shook her head.

Fiyero climbed over her to join her on the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.

"Fae, your dad's going to be ok," he tried to comfort her. "He's a good Governor, and like you said, he's changed. He loves you, and everyone knows that. This is just people making noise to cover up the fact they knew something wasn't right when you were a kid and they did nothing about it. And now all of Oz knows, and they look bad."

"No one's ever said it before," Elphaba said hoarsely.

"Said what?"

"That I was _abused."_

She rolled onto her back, frowning up at the ceiling. "I mean, I guess I _knew,_ but seeing it in the newspaper is a whole different thing. Papa and Annalie never said it."

Fiyero rested his arm across her stomach, his fingers tracing around her hip lightly.

"What _did_ they say?" he asked.

Elphaba sighed lightly, resting her hand on his arm. "I don't remember it much now," she said. "I think it wasn't long after I broke my arm. I think I'd just gotten the cast off. He took me for cocoa. Papa said something about how he'd hurt me, and he was going to fix it."

She blinked, and her eyes filled with tears. "I was so confusified about how cocoa was going to fix things," she recalled. "And I was so sure for ages afterwards that he was going to change his mind any day. Decide I wasn't worth the bother of trying to change things."

Fiyero frowned. For a moment, he caught a glimpse of a shadow in her eyes. The shadow of the little girl she had been, and the woman she might be now if things had been different. Unconsciously, his grip tightened on her.

"How long was it until you were sure?" he asked her quietly. "Until you trusted him?"

Elphaba paused. "Until I really trusted him? A few months, I think."

Fiyero looked at her solemnly. "You trust me, right?"

She turned her head towards him. "You know I do, Yero," she said quietly.

"And you trust that I'm not going anywhere?" Fiyero pressed.

Elphaba faltered for just a moment too long.

Fiyero lifted his head and raised himself onto one elbow, looking down at her concernedly. "Fae- "

"No, I know," Elphaba cut him off quickly. "It's just…"

She sat up on the bed and Fiyero quickly followed.

"Every time the tabloids started talking about you and a girl you were dating, what happened?"

"We broke up," Fiyero said slowly.

"Why?"

Fiyero sighed. "Because I either knew there was no future there, or I didn't want to think about the future. But Fae, they weren't _you."_

"What if it's too much?" Elphaba asked him bluntly. "Too much pressure for you. For us."

She hesitated.

"Yero, I don't know how much more of this I can take," she whispered. "The constant speculation on our relationship and having all this attention on my family. Is this going to be what the rest of our relationship is like?"

Fiyero desperately wanted to say no, but they both knew that would be a lie.

"I know you don't like to think about the future, Yero. But the facts are we'll either eventually break up, or we'll get married. The latter of which is a whole other thing I can't think about right at this moment, otherwise I'll just... I can't."

Fiyero frowned, but Elphaba didn't give him the chance to say anything.

"What if the press thinks that I'm not good enough to be queen? What happens then?"

Fiyero pulled her close to him, swinging her legs over his lap and resting a hand on her knee.

"First of all, that's not going to happen," he said firmly. "Secondly, the only people's approval I need to marry you is yours. And our parents," he amended. "But my parents think you're awesome and your father… thinks I will do."

Elphaba managed a faint smile.

"And thirdly, Elphaba, if it came down to being with you or the throne, I'd pick you. In a heartbeat, every time. Are you kidding me? How is that not obvious?" he demanded.

Elphaba reached over and took his hand, gripping it tightly.

"I'm not good at the whole 'living in the moment' thing," she said quietly. "I'm trying, but I _like_ to know where I'm going. But I know in a relationship, that's not possible."

She swallowed hard.

"I also know that the trouble with making plans is that they can change _so_ suddenly. Did I ever tell you about Annalie's brother?"

Fiyero shook his head.

"Annalie was in her last year of Shiz," Elphaba explained quietly. "She had plans with her long-term boyfriend at the time to move to the Vinkus. They were going to be teachers. And then her brother, Tomaz, was killed in a mining accident. Annalie moved back to the Glikkus to be with her parents, and she and her boyfriend broke up."

Fiyero tightened his grip on her.

"Elphaba, I think about our future all the time," Fiyero confessed. "You're the only girl I've ever thought about that with. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me too," Elphaba whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

He leaned over and kissed her tenderly, cupping her cheek in one hand.

"Elphaba, I fully intend to be the only man who gets to love you in your lifetime," he murmured, meeting her gaze. "But if for whatever reason that doesn't happen, I'll settle for being the first."

Elphaba kissed him deeply, sinking into his arms.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too. We'll take care of the press," Fiyero promised her. "We will. I have a plan. I'm not going anywhere."


	28. Chapter 28

**AN. Games Night and the switch to Daylight Savings Time does really not mix. So. Tired.**

 **Congrats to poser16 for being reviewer 400!**

 **Chapter 28**

 _A Statement from the Press Secretary to the Royal Family_

 _Prince Fiyero has always been aware that there is much interest in his personal life; as the woman with whom he chooses to spend the rest of his life will one day rule alongside him as his queen._

 _However, Prince Fiyero has always believed that, thanks to the excellent example set to him by his own parents, he will make the right decision about his future bride, the person who will share both his life and his reign. He knows that this is not a decision to be made lightly._

 _Lately there have been numerous articles in publications across Oz about Prince Fiyero's relationship with Miss Elphaba Thropp. While this is not the first relationship to attract public interest, the magnitude of public scrutiny of Miss Thropp has reached new heights and has crossed the boundary of what Prince Fiyero is willing to overlook._

 _Prince Fiyero and Miss Thropp are unable to leave the grounds of Shiz University without being photographed for the sheer purpose of being used as the basis for 'news stories' based on lies and conjecture. Referring to these stories as 'news' is being generous._

 _While Prince Fiyero is accustomed to ignoring these stories, recent articles have focused intensely on Miss Thropp's private family relationships and history. These articles have caused much undue stress on Miss Thropp's emotional, mental and physical health; as well as drawing attention into the private lives of her family. Prince Fiyero is unable to ignore this and refuses to pretend that this is in any way acceptable._

 _Miss Thropp's family history has no relevance to any Ozian outside of their family and friends. It has no impact on the future of their relationship. Prince Fiyero and Miss Thropp have only been dating for a few months and are still very young. They are still getting to know one another and are enjoying spending time together while they complete their education._

 _Prince Fiyero is taking the unusual step of releasing this statement, to ask members of the press to respect his relationship with Miss Thropp and their respective families. Allow them the time and space to develop their relationship without the pressure of public scrutiny. Their relationship is not news or entertainment for public consumption, it is the real lives and feelings of two young people._

 _Prince Fiyero cares very deeply for Miss Thropp and is prepared to take any measures necessary to ensure her safety, health and happiness. Protecting her is his highest priority. Any further invasion of the privacy of Miss Thropp and her family may result in legal action by the Royal Family._

Galinda stared at the front page of _The Chronicle_ in awe, re-reading the statement for the tenth time. She hadn't been able to form complete sentences after reading it the first nine times. Apparently tenth time would be the charm.

"I never knew a statement could be so _sexy,"_ she said to Elphaba, leaning her elbows on the desk.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow, turning to her friend. " _Sexy?"_ she repeated sceptically. "Seriously?"

"Are you kidding me?" Galinda demanded incredulously, her voice raising and attracting stares from other staffers in the _Gazette_ office.

"That last paragraph? It's a public declaration of his love for you!" Galinda exclaimed.

"The last line alone basically says that you're a part of his family. You're going to get _married!"_

Elphaba rolled her eyes, gesturing for her to lower her voice. "Galinda, _please_. We're not going anywhere near that. We've only been dating for seven months."

"Then why release the statement?" Galinda demanded.

"I've told you," Elphaba said wearily. "Fiyero's father said our three options for dealing with the press were to say nothing, release a statement or give an interview. But typically, royal couples only give interviews once an engagement has been announced. Fiyero chose option two."

"I still say it's sexy," Galinda insisted.

Elphaba couldn't hide a smile as she turned back to her work. "How's your column coming for this week?"

"Oh, I'm not doing a column this week," Galinda said matter-of-factly. "I already spoke to Rais. We're going to reprint this statement instead. To show people that we support you and Fiyero, and not this ridiculous gossip."

Elphaba frowned at her. "I want to say thank you, but you also buy _every_ magazine that prints crap about us."

"How else am I supposed to know what crap they're saying about you?" Galinda countered.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to go see if the mail has been delivered yet," she said, pushing back her chair.

Galinda's face lit up. "Oh, I'll come too! I want to see if Link has written me back yet."

The two girls left the _Gazette_ office, and Galinda linked her arm with Elphaba's.

"Are you hoping to hear from your parents?" she asked quietly.

Elphaba nodded silently.

She'd written home four days ago, to apologise for the editorial and any trouble she had caused, and to tell them that Fiyero and his parents were dealing with the situation- a statement that would be printed in _The Chronicle, The Munchkinland Post_ and _The Oracle_ in Gilikin.

There'd been no response from home so far, but of course, there was no mail delivered on the weekend. Realistically, Elphaba knew they'd most likely only get her letter today. But she couldn't stop herself from checking anyway.

"Elphie, you don't need to feel guilty," Galinda reassured her. "That editorial was horrendible, but it wasn't your fault. _You_ didn't write it."

"If Papa gets made to resign because of me- "

"No," Galinda cut her off firmly. "Elphaba, even if he _does_ get made to resign, it's not because of you."

"If I wasn't dating Fiyero none of this would have happened," Elphaba said quietly.

Galinda looked at her sympathetically.

There was no mail for Elphaba, but there was a package for Galinda from Link, much to her joy. She tried to hide it however, seeing Elphaba's face.

"Give them a few more days before you start worrying," she told her. Then her face brightened.

"Oh, I know what will help! We'll go dress shopping tomorrow for the dance!"

Elphaba grimaced slightly. "Shopping? This helps how exactly?"

"It's a distraction. You need a dress for the dance, don't you?"

"Yes," Elphaba conceded reluctantly.

"And you have no classes tomorrow, right? You've almost finished your article for this week's issue," Galinda wheedled her.

"OK, but _you_ have classes tomorrow," Elphaba reminded her. "Two."

"I won't miss anything important," Galinda reassured her. "Come on, we'll invite Nessa and see if Xia wants to come. It'll be a girl's day."

Nessa was almost as distraught over the editorial as Elphaba was, and so for her sister's sake, Elphaba agreed.

"Fine. We'll go shopping," she agreed, trying to sound more enthusiastic than she felt.

Fiyero had been stuck in the library all day working on a group project for his Economics class, so she hadn't seen him that day. But they had agreed to meet in Fiyero's suite to have dinner. Fiyero had suggested they go out, but Elphaba had preferred to stay in. She made the excuse of feeling like she was coming down with something, but the truth was she found it difficult to bear the thought of being around crowds of people lately.

The whispers around campus hadn't subsided any. Galinda insisted Fiyero's statement was going to change everything, but Elphaba wasn't in the mood to test that theory tonight.

"It's open," Fiyero called out when she knocked on his suite door that evening, so Elphaba let herself in.

Fiyero was in the kitchen, unpacking containers of food from a bag and he flashed her a grin as she shut the door behind her.

"Hey. I got you soup, in case you _are_ coming down with something. I also got you a salad, and a piece of chocolate cake. Not because I'm trying to be funny. Just because I figured you can't go wrong with cake, right? Do you want water, soda or wine to drink?"

Elphaba didn't respond, which drew his attention.

"Fae? You ok?"

Elphaba forced a smile and nodded, a lump in her throat. Fiyero's face softened and he left the food, moving over to draw her into his arms tightly. Elphaba rested her head on his shoulder, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her as she breathed in his scent.

"Did you see the statement in the paper?" he asked her.

She nodded, lifting her head to look at him. "I saw it. You did a good job of writing it."

Fiyero stilled in surprise. "How do you know I wrote it?"

"Well, the line about the example set by your parents was very sweet," Elphaba told him. "But the 'any measure necessary' bit was what made me sure you wrote it."

"My parents' press secretary cleaned it up a bit," Fiyero admitted. "Made it sound better. But yeah, I wrote most of it."

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear gently, trailing his thumb down her cheek. "I was so tempted just to write that I'm crazy in love with you and they should all back off and leave us alone, but I wasn't sure how you'd feel about that."

Elphaba blinked back tears. "I'd be ok with that," she said hoarsely, leaning up to kiss him.

Fiyero deepened the kiss, sliding his arms down to her waist. "How hungry are you?" he murmured.

"Not very."

"Good."

He lifted her off her feet and carried her over to the couch, sitting down with her on his lap.

"You know, Galinda said the statement was sexy, and I thought she was nuts, but she may have a point," Elphaba said breathlessly, sliding her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

She felt Fiyero grin against her skin. "There was a whole paragraph in that statement about where they could shove their unnamed sources, but oddly, someone cut that bit out," Fiyero told her, kissing down her neck.

Elphaba snorted, laughing for what felt like the first time in days. Normally that might have killed the mood a bit, but Fiyero's heart lifted to hear her laugh.

"I love you so much," she said softly, drawing back and placing a hand on either side of his jaw. "How do you always make me feel like everything's going to be okay?"

Fiyero kissed her deeply. "Because it will be," he replied simply and drew her to him again.

The next morning, Elphaba was eating breakfast with Galinda, Xia, Nessarose and Boq, when Nessa suddenly gasped aloud.

" _Ima!"_

Elphaba whirled around, and sure enough, Annalie was making her way through the dining hall towards them. Nessa quickly wheeled herself towards her and Annalie bent to hug her.

Elphaba's stomach clenched apprehensively as she approached Annalie.

"What are you doing here?"

Annalie hugged her tightly. "We got your letter," she replied.

"Is Papa with you?" she asked, her eyes flicking behind Annalie to the doorway.

"He wanted to come, but he's got a lot on his plate at the moment," Annalie explained.

Elphaba nodded, but her stomach was still in knots.

"Is- is he upset with me?" she blurted before she could stop herself.

Annalie froze for just a second, before she hugged Elphaba again. "Sweetie, _no,"_ she said firmly. "Of course not."

She sighed. "Do either of you have class now?"

Elphaba and Nessa shook their heads.

"Neither of us have classes today," Nessa volunteered. "But we were going to go shopping with Galinda…"

She turned to Galinda, who waved a hand dismissively. "We can go later," she reassured them. "Annalie you could come with us!" she added. "We're shopping for the dance next month."

Annalie smiled at the blonde. "I'd love that, Galinda," she said graciously. "I just want to have a quick chat with the girls. It won't take long."

"Use our room," Xia said to Nessa, who nodded.

Nessa led the way to her room. Annalie sat on Nessa's bed with Elphaba next to her, while Nessa placed her chair opposite them. Annalie looked at them solemnly.

"How are you?"

Nessa immediately looked to her sister.

"Is Papa really in trouble because of me?" Elphaba asked Annalie quietly.

"Fabala, no. It's causing a lot of noise right now," Annalie admitted. "But it'll blow over. It's not the first time your father has dealt with some bad press, you _know_ this."

"But this time is because of me," Elphaba protested. "If Fiyero and I weren't dating-"

Annalie shook her head firmly. "No."

She reached over and took one of her hands and one of Nessa's, taking a shaky breath. Maybe Frex _should_ have come instead of her. They'd discussed it at length, but Frex's schedule had been overwhelmed with meetings since the news had come out and Frex had thought this might be a time where the girls needed a mother's touch. Elphaba's letter had worried them both.

"Even if your father was made to stand down as Governor, he wouldn't care. As long as you kids are happy," Annalie told them. She looked to Elphaba.

"Are you happy with Fiyero? Do you love him?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Then we will cope with whatever comes up with the press," Annalie said simply. "Nessie, what about you?"

Nessa hesitated. "I didn't realise what it was really like. Before you came," she said shamefacedly. "I don't remember."

"Sweetheart, you were only _five_ when I first met you," Annalie reminded her gently. "Of course you didn't realise."

"But… emotional abuse," Nessa whispered, although they were the only ones alone in the room.

Annalie nodded slowly. As much as she would have liked to, she couldn't deny the facts.

"Yes."

Nessa looked like she might cry.

"It doesn't excuse anything, but everything is different now. Your father has changed, and he spent a long time in therapy over this. He loves you both and your brother more than anything, you know this, right?"

Nessa nodded.

Elphaba was silent, staring at her lap.

Annalie sighed slightly and turned back to Nessa. "Is there anything else you want to know, honey? Questions, or anything you're worried about?"

"No," Nessa replied. "I've just been worried about Elphaba," she confessed. "I'm really glad you came, Ima."

Annalie smiled, hugging her tightly. "Me too, sweetie. Why don't you go find Galinda?" she suggested. "Let me have a minute with your sister and we'll meet up with you."

Nessa agreed and left the room. Once they were alone, Annalie wrapped an arm around Elphaba and hugged her tightly. Elphaba rested her head on her shoulder.

"We were worried when we got your letter yesterday," Annalie said. "Your father doesn't want you to blame yourself, Fabala."

Tears sprung to Elphaba's eyes.

"I spent so long thinking that what happened to Nessa and to Momma was my fault," Elphaba said. "I don't need all of Oz debating-"

"Honey, no one is debating that," Annalie said firmly. "No one is thinking that."

Elphaba shook her head. "You haven't been here, Anna."

Annalie paused. "Papa and I were talking last night about if it might be a good idea for you to talk to someone."

"Like a psychologist someone?" Elphaba asked warily.

Annalie nodded. "I know you saw Dr Jinn a few times, but the last time was what? When Tom was born?"

Elphaba nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think so. Anna, I don't need to see a psychologist."

"Are you sure? Because I know this is a lot for you to deal with."

"It is," Elphaba admitted. "I don't know what's worse, all the crap they print, or the fact people believe it. Yero tries to make light of it, but he's been dealing with it much longer than I have. The idea of dealing with this for the rest of my life is exhausting."

A smile flickered over Annalie's face. "The rest of your life, huh?"

Elphaba flushed slightly. "Maybe," she said, averting her gaze. "Hopefully," she murmured.

Annalie's smile widened. "The statement was wonderful, we thought."

"Yero wrote it himself," Elphaba said, a note of pride in her voice. "It's too soon to tell if it'll work though. I guess we'll find out if _Oz Weekly_ prints pictures of us shopping and says we've been shopping for my wedding dress or something."

Annalie chuckled faintly, although she knew it was a very real possibility.

"I still think you should consider talking to someone," she said gently. "Shiz offers services, I know. Or we can find someone in town or the Emerald City. Just consider it, ok?" Annalie beseeched her as Elphaba shook her head.

"I'll consider it," Elphaba promised reluctantly.

"Good," Annalie said, although she was pretty sure Elphaba was just saying that to drop the subject.

She made a mental note to mention it to Fiyero if she got a chance. She figured if anyone could convince Elphaba, it would be him.

"Do you want to come shopping with us? For the dance? Or do you need to get home?"

Annalie shook her head. "I'll leave for home tonight. I wanted to spend time you girls, and shopping sounds wonderful."

She got to her feet. "Shall we?"

Elphaba nodded reluctantly. "Sure."

They met up with Nessa, Galinda and Xia and headed into town, meeting with Milla along the path into town, who Galinda had apparently invited to join them.

"I didn't ask Pfannee and Shen-Shen," she assured Elphaba, which was a small comfort to her.

Elphaba normally loved the walk into town at this time of year, as the leaves changed colour. But leaving campus made her anxious these days, which Annalie noted, but didn't comment on.

There were two dress salons in town Galinda insisted were their best option and she ushered them along briskly.

"Alright," Galinda said, turning to them once they were inside. "How do we want to do this? Divide and conquer, or one at a time?"

"Let's just get this over with," Elphaba sighed, heading for the closest rack of dresses.

Galinda frowned at her. "Elphie, you're not sounding very enthusiastic," she noted.

Elphaba stared at her pointedly, making Annalie chuckle.

"I'm going to find you the perfect dress," Galinda declared.

"Great," Elphaba said glumly.

"Fabala," Annalie said gently, walking over to her. "Come on sweetheart. Try to get in the spirit of things," she urged.

She picked up a deep blue dress one shouldered dress. "Why don't you try this on?" she suggested.

Elphaba bit the inside of her cheek as she accepted the dress.

"Ok," she agreed.

It took a while, but slowly Elphaba relaxed and began to look for a dress. Galinda took her mission to find Elphaba the perfect dress very seriously.

"It's going to be such a fun night!" she wheedled Elphaba, showing her a purple gown she'd found.

"We'll be all dressed up, and there'll be dancing and good food…"

"Yeah, Galinda, Fiyero already convinced me to go," Elphaba replied. "I don't need further persuading."

Galinda grinned at her. "OK, so think of it this way. I saw the way Fiyero looked at you over the summer in that polka dot dress you made."

Elphaba cheeks warmed slightly. "Yes, so?"

Galinda giggled. "Imagine his face when he sees you in a _gorgeous_ formal gown," she said, waving the dress in her face.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and took the dress from her to hang back on the rack, although she couldn't suppress a smile.

"I don't think I want anything dark," she said slowly and Galinda's face lit up.

"Really?"

Elphaba shrugged reluctantly. "Maybe."

Galinda beamed. "We can work with this," she promised and dragged her away.

Annalie was feeling rather emotional as she helped the girls look at dresses. She was no longer worried about the girls- well, not as worried; and she was thrillified she'd been able to do something special with them, like picking their dresses for the dance.

Nessa was relatively easy to sort out. She knew what she wanted, and she knew what styles of gowns worked best with her chair.

"I love that colour on you, Nessa," Milla said warmly when Nessa tried it on for them all.

Nessa smiled, adjusting the shoulder of the dress. "Thanks, Milla. Ima, what do you think?"

"I love it," Annalie smiled. "The gold adds just the right touch."

Nessa beamed and disappeared with Xia to change back into her other clothes.

"And I already have the perfect shoes to go with it," she said happily after purchasing the dress, as she and Annalie searched for dresses that might catch Elphaba's interest.

"That will make your father's bank balance very happy," Annalie laughed. "Do you think Fabala would like this one?"

Nessa wrinkled her nose. "I think she'd be okay with the colour, but I don't know about the style," she said.

Galinda came running towards them, her eyes shining.

"I found it!" she squealed. "I found the _perfect_ dress for Elphie! You have to come see!"

Nessa and Annalie followed her back down to the dressing rooms. Nessarose gasped as she saw her sister.

"Oh my Oz. Fabala, that dress is amazing!" she breathed, her eyes wide.

Elphaba turned around to examine the dress from other angles. "You don't think it's too… I don't know, bright?"

Galinda shook her head. _"No,_ Elphie. I told you. It's perfect."

Elphaba frowned at her reflection. The dress was a silver white gown that fitted to her figure perfectly. A halter neck that was cut low at the back, revealing her bare back in a V-shape, the bottom of the dress pooled around her ankles in a train.

"Anna, what do you think?" she asked Annalie.

Annalie smiled broadly, a lump appearing in her throat.

"I think it's perfect," she agreed with Galinda.

"I think Fiyero will _love_ it," Galinda hinted.

Elphaba exhaled slowly as she studied her reflection once more and then nodded.

"Ok. It is on sale, I guess," she said.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "I'm working on her," she assured Annalie as Elphaba returned to the dressing room to change out of the dress.

Annalie smiled and headed back to the front of her store, squeezing Nessa's shoulder as she passed her.

Seeing Elphaba in the dress, she couldn't help but wonder if the next time they went dress shopping, she actually _would_ be helping Elphaba choose her wedding dress. The thought was enough to bring tears to her eyes, and she didn't want Nessa or Elphaba to see.

By the time they finished shopping, only Nessa and Elphaba had found dresses for the dance, although Galinda had narrowed her choices down to three.

"I'm going to decide how I want to do my hair and then come back to try them on again and see which one looks best," she decided as they left the store.

Milla had a date that night, and Xia had a paper to write, but the rest of them headed over to the pub for dinner, where they had arranged to meet Boq and Fiyero. Xia took their purchases back to the dorms for them, so they didn't have to carry them to dinner. When they arrived, the boys were already there.

"Hi, Annalie," Fiyero greeted her warmly, not surprised at all to see her, so evidently Boq had filled him in.

"Hello, Fiyero," Annalie replied as Elphaba took the seat beside Fiyero at the table.

Boq went to the bar to get drinks and menus for them all, while Nessa and Annalie went to the bathroom, Galinda following after them to freshen up.

"How was shopping?" Fiyero asked Elphaba quietly.

"Exhausting, but not horrendible."

"You got a dress?"

Elphaba smiled. "I got a dress," she confirmed.

Elphaba sighed and leaned back in her chair as Fiyero slid his arms around her shoulders.

"You seem lighter somehow," Fiyero noted softly.

She smiled. "It's been good to see Anna today," she admitted. "Although I wish Papa had come too."

"Is it bad that I'm glad he didn't?" Fiyero asked her. "I don't feel as awkward kissing you in front of Annalie."

Elphaba giggled as he kissed her, as though to prove a point.

"Alright, you two," Galinda said in exasperation, taking the seat opposite Elphaba. "Can you not do that while we eat? You can still grope each other under the table."

" _Galinda,"_ Elphaba warned her, as the others returned.

"What's good to eat here?" Annalie asked them.

"The chicken salad is good," Galinda replied.

"So are the burgers," Boq added.

Elphaba was about to say something but stopped as warm fingers curved around her knee. Her eyes raised to Fiyero pointedly, who looked at her innocently.

"What? Galinda said we could," he said quietly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes but didn't remove his hand from her leg.

"How are the letters coming? Is there any more news?" Annalie asked them as they ate.

"Galinda's boyfriend-"

"Not my boyfriend," Galinda interrupted. "Just a boy. That I write to."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda's boyfriend in the Emerald City is trying to find out more for us," Elphaba said. "He found Alivia's birth certificate, but her death certificate doesn't appear to be in the public records which means that she must have died in the last fifty years."

She shrugged. "We've been a little distracted recently to look into anything more."

Fiyero squeezed her knee gently under the table.

After dinner, Elphaba and Nessa walked Annalie back to where the carriage was waiting to take her home. Annalie reached inside and handed Nessa a box.

"I know it's not your birthday just yet, but it seemed silly to post it when I'm seeing you now," she explained.

Nessa beamed. "I'll never say no to an early birthday present," she laughed. "Thank you, Ima. Give my love to Papa and Tomaz, won't you?"

"Of course, darling," Annalie reassured her, hugging her tightly. "And here, this is from your grandparents. And this is from Nikita and Akio."

Nessa's face lit up seeing the tin from Nikita and Akio. "Are these Nikita's chocolate chip cookies?"

Annalie chuckled. "Yes."

"Don't show them to Fiyero," Elphaba warned her sister. "He'll eat them all."

Nessa giggled and agreed. Nikita had made a batch when Fiyero had visited over the summer and he had definishly been a fan.

Elphaba lingered behind as Nessa headed off towards Crage Hall with Xia.

"Will you be okay?" Annalie asked her worriedly.

Elphaba nodded. "I have Yero," she said simply. "And Nessa. I've got a good group of friends here, Ima."

"I know. I do worry about you less knowing you have Fiyero," Annalie admitted. "Although I think your father worries about you more."

Elphaba chuckled faintly.

"Papa is really going to be okay?" she asked.

Annalie nodded. "We're not worried, sweetheart. We just worry about you."

She hugged her tightly. "Your father loves you, Fabala. So much."

Elphaba sighed. "I know," she said. "I love him too. Both of you."

Annalie pulled back and smiled brightly. "Now, I'm going to want photographs of you all at this dance next month, understood? I can't remember the last time I got to see you and Nessa all dressed up."

"Probably Ottah's wedding," Elphaba replied. "But I think this is a whole other level from that."

Annalie chuckled. "You'll have fun," she predicted. "I'm sure your friends will make sure of that."

"Galinda keeps telling me it'll be a night to remember," Elphaba said dryly.

She just didn't know yet how right Galinda was.

 **AN. Did I take the idea of the statement from Prince Harry releasing a statement when the press started talking about his relationship with Meghan Markle? Yes I did.**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN. I've heard 3 different theories so far about what's going to happen at this dance. One of them is right- but you won't find out which yet!**

 **I think you guys are _really_ going to like this chapter ;) **

**Chapter 29**

Fiyero's statement somewhat had the desired effect. There was a definite decrease in the volume of articles printed about them over the next week, and there were no more articles about her family; though there were three articles that speculated they were close to announcing an engagement. That was annoying, but in the grand scheme of things, Elphaba could cope with that.

Three days after Annalie had come to see them, Elphaba received a letter from Frex. She picked it up with Galinda when her roommate went to check for mail from Link, as had become her custom.

"Why are you frowning?" Galinda asked her confusedly as they entered their room.

Elphaba shrugged. "I just wasn't expecting Papa to write. Not when Annalie was just here… and it feels unusually thick."

Galinda shrugged. "Maybe there's something inside from your brother?"

Elphaba snorted. "I hope not. The last note I got from Tomaz, was asking me if he could borrow twenty dollars to hire Ottah as his lawyer to negotiate a raise in his allowance."

Galinda giggled. "Did it work?"

Elphaba grinned. "Well, I gave him the money, but negotiations didn't go well."

Galinda laughed, and went to change before she met Pfannee, Shen-Shen and Milla for dinner. While she was in the bathroom, Elphaba settled on her bed to read the letter from her father.

According to the date at the top of the letter, it had been written on Tuesday while Annalie was visiting them at Shiz.

In it, Frex apologised for everything. Not for the first time, but he wrote at in great detail about things he'd never told Elphaba about before, including the therapy he'd done in her youth. Elphaba had never asked about it before, figuring it was a private matter.

Frex wrote about how he and Melena had discoverated they were expecting her, the pregnancy and the story of Elphaba's birth. There was much about her mother and her death and the years before hiring Annalie. Frex wrote about how proud he was of Elphaba and the woman she'd become.

' _I know that no matter how much time passes and whatever I've done in the past thirteen years to make up for my mistakes, I still failed you. It's been my greatest fear since that first day I took you for cocoa that I was too late, that my actions in those early years hurt you in a way I can't fix._

 _Your letter that came yesterday made me worry that I was right. Fabala, you are only responsible for your own actions. Please don't ever think that you have any blame to bear for the mistakes I made. Every action has its consequences, and if standing down as Governor is the price to pay for my mistakes, I will do it. Although I truly do not believe it will come to that._

 _I keep re-reading the statement in yesterday's paper that Fiyero wrote. As difficult as it has been these past seven months to come to terms with the fact that you are truly no longer a child, and you're on the verge of creating your own life and your own family; I could not be happier as a father to know that you've found Fiyero and opened your heart to him._

 _Having come to know him over the summer and seen you together, I knew that he loved you. But reading and re-reading this statement, I know that I can truly rely on him to do whatever it takes to make you happy and keep you safe._

 _You, your sister and brother are my greatest accomplishments in life, Fabala. The most important things to Anna and I are your safety and happiness. I could not be prouder of you, and I don't want you to ever doubt that._

 _All my love,_

 _Papa.'_

Galinda was startled to emerge from the bathroom to find Elphaba sobbing brokenly over the letter.

"Elphie, what's happened?" she demanded, rushing over to her.

Elphaba handed her the letter wordlessly. When she finished reading it, Galinda wasn't sure what exactly to do or say, so she simply hugged her tightly.

"See, even your father thought Fiyero's statement was sexy," she finally said when Elphaba had calmed down somewhat.

Elphaba sobbed out a laugh as she wiped her eyes. "I don't think that's how Papa would describe it," she said. "Or at least, I hope to Oz it's not."

Galinda giggled.

That night, Elphaba went down to Nessa's room and let her sister read the letter, who also cried while reading it.

"Are you going to let Fiyero read this?" she asked afterwards, blowing her nose.

"Do you think I should?"

Nessa nodded. "Yes. Or at least the part about him. I think he'd like to know that Papa approves of him."

"He would," Elphaba agreed thoughtfully.

Nessa smiled faintly at her sister. "Do you remember in the Emerald City, when you said that if you had to marry someone to protect us, you would?"

"Sure."

"Fiyero told me afterwards that we'd never have to worry if something happened to Papa, because he was around," Nessa told her. "We didn't get to finish the conversation before you came back into the room, but I'm pretty sure the point he was getting at was that he's not going anywhere."

Elphaba blinked back fresh tears. "That does seem to be the plan," she agreed softly.

Nessa beamed at her.

"What about you and Boq? I've noticed he's been around a lot more this semester," Elphaba asked, eager to get the heat off of her.

Nessa blushed. "We spent a lot of time together this summer," she said vaguely. "While you were off doing things with Fiyero. Nothing's happened. We're just friends."

"Yeah, I was ' _just friends'_ with Fiyero too at first, remember?" Elphaba pointed out.

Nessa rolled her eyes. "But… he did ask me to be his date to the dance," she admitted.

"That's great, Nessie. Just don't tell Galinda yet. She'll make you read that dating guide," Elphaba warned her.

Nessa giggled. "Sure."

She handed Frex's letter back to Elphaba. "Thank you for letting me read that, Fabala. It's a wonderful letter."

Elphaba tucked it safely into her skirt pocket. "That's ok. Do you want to meet for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Can we make it brunch instead?" Nessa asked. "I've got a bunch of reading to do for my Impressionist Art class and I want to get it over with in the morning."

"Sure," Elphaba agreed.

Fiyero had gone out with some guys in his building that night to festivate someone's birthday, so Elphaba figured she wouldn't see him until Saturday afternoon. Elphaba had planned on a quiet morning to get some study done herself.

However, it was nine o'clock the next morning when Xia knocked on the door, rather urgently.

"Nessarose would like to see you and Miss Galinda downstairs as soon as possible," she greeted Elphaba when she opened the door.

Elphaba frowned. "Uh, sure. Ok. We'll be down in a minute," she promised.

She turned to Galinda, a little apprehensive. "No paper is going to print anything about Fiyero and I on a Saturday, right?" she asked. "I just can't deal with any of that today."

Galinda was still half-asleep but shrugged. "I don't know. Do we really both have to go? I'm tired," she complained.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Come on, Glin. Nessa wouldn't have asked unless it was important. Maybe Boq asked her out?" she wondered absent-mindedly.

That got Galinda's interest. "Boq and Nessa?" she demanded.

Elphaba winced. "Ah, maybe. He asked her to the dance."

Galinda quickly got out of bed and got herself ready for the day and then they headed downstairs to Nessa's room, where she was waiting impatiently.

"What's the big emergency this early?" Galinda demanded.

Nessa was positively quivering. "I think I found King," she said, her voice trembling.

Galinda gasped and Elphaba's eyes widened.

"What? _How?"_ she demanded.

"I was doing my reading for class," Nessa explained, her words stumbling over themselves in her rush. "And I was reading about this Impressionist artist, named Kole Ingram."

Nessa handed Elphaba the book that was on her lap, pointing to a picture of a painting that was in the bottom corner of the page.

"Look at the signature in the painting," she urged.

Elphaba squinted half-heartedly at the painting and then gave up. "Nessa, it's so tiny and I'm not wearing my glasses," she sighed. "Galinda, can you read that?"

Galinda frowned at it for a moment. "Kind of," she said slowly. "It looks like K Ing and then a squiggle?"

Nessa nodded eagerly. "Yes! Don't you see it? K Ing? _King?"_

Galinda's face lit up, but Elphaba looked sceptical.

"Nessa, I don't know. It sounds like a bit of a stretch."

"It's more of a lead than you've had so far," Xia said from where she sat in the room.

Galinda turned to Elphaba. "We can at least look into it right? How would we check?"

Elphaba shrugged. "It should be easy enough. Is he a famous artist? Would he have a biography or something?" she asked Nessa.

Nessa hesitated. "I don't know. The name was a little familiar, but I didn't really know of him. I think he's mostly known for this one painting," she explained, gesturing to the book. "I can ask my teacher? I'm sure Dr Tarrana would know more than me."

Elphaba nodded. "Ok. Well, I might go check the library. See what I can find."

"I'll come with you," Galinda was quick to offer, which made Elphaba smile knowingly.

Nessa decided to try and see Dr Tarrana now, not wanting to wait until her next class or office hours; but she promised to meet them at the library once she was done.

"What if he doesn't have a biography?" Galinda asked Elphaba as they headed for the library.

"Even if he doesn't have a biography of his own, he still might be mentioned in some art books," Elphaba replied. "We can at least see if it's plausible he attended Shiz at the same time as Ali."

She was trying not to get her hopes up that they had finally found King, but there was a swarm of butterflies in her stomach that she couldn't suppress.

Elphaba had never been near the Art section of the library before and she was rather overwhelmed by the size of it.

"What kind of artist did Nessa say he was?" Elphaba frowned, wondering where to begin.

"Impressionist, I think."

Elphaba nodded and began to pull books from shelves.

Some mentioned Kole Ingram, but not all. Those that did spoke of a few same paintings and his technique but had no personal information about the artist at all.

Nessa joined them before they found anything.

"Well?" Galinda demanded of her.

Nessa was beaming. "I asked Dr Tarrana about Kole Ingram. She said that Ingram was only moderately successful as an artist. There's a few paintings that are relatively well known in some art circles, but the casual art fan wouldn't recognise his name alongside, say Guseo or Kragge."

Elphaba and Galinda stared at her blankly.

"Nessa, you know I'm not an art person, these names mean nothing to me," Elphaba said patiently. "Did Dr Tarrana say anything _helpful?_ That would help us confirm is Kole Ingram is King?"

"Oh, yes. She said she wasn't sure if Kole Ingram had attended Shiz. Apparently details about his private life are _very_ hard to come by, because he preferred to let his art tell his story and never gave interviews. But she said it _was_ known that he was a Quadling and his work was most prominent in the 1840s and 50s."

Elphaba frowned thoughtfully. "Ok," she said. "Nessie, you and Glin keep looking through the art books. See if you can find out anything more."

"Where are you going?" Galinda asked as Elphaba began to walk away.

"I'm going to grab the yearbooks for the years Alivia was here," she explained. "I'll be back in a moment."

She grabbed the yearbook for 1836, where they had found Alivia, Wynter and Jair, and brought it over to the others.

"Was Kole Ingram on the list of names you made?" she asked Galinda as she flicked through pages carefully. "The names that might be King?"

"I don't think so," Galinda frowned. "The name doesn't ring a bell. Besides, I was mainly looking for names that had 'King' already in them or surnames that started with 'K'," she admitted.

"I never would have thought to look at an 'Ingram'."

Elphaba wasn't sure she would have either, so she couldn't fault Galinda there.

But there, listed under second year students for 1836, was Kole Ingram.

"Oh my _Oz,_ that's _him!"_ Galinda squealed.

Elphaba and Nessa both shushed her hastily.

"You think that's really him?" Nessa asked hopefully.

"Of course it's him. Look at him, he's _gorgeous,"_ Galinda argued.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, him being good looking proves nothing."

She rooted in her bag for pen and paper.

"Could Link try and find us any public records for him?" she asked.

Galinda nodded immediately. "I'm sure. He's almost as invested in this as I am now," she giggled.

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Kole Ingram was a second year, meaning he's more than likely a year or two older than Alivia," she mused thoughtfully. "That's assuming he got his scholarship straight from school… I don't even know what schooling in Quadling Country would have been like at that time."

"Now that we have a name, can't we see his student file? Like you did with the others?" Nessa suggested. "That would have his date of birth in it, wouldn't it?"

Elphaba shook her head. "If he lost his scholarship and dropped out of Shiz, the file was probably destroyed. Alivia's wasn't there either," she reminded her sister.

"Well, Dr Tarrana said she may be able to find some information on Kole Ingram for me," Nessa said. "At least she might be able to find out the years he was born and died."

Elphaba nodded in acknowledgment, frowning frustratedly. "I really thought for a moment we'd get a bigger break through," she admitted.

"Are you kidding, Elphie?" Galinda demanded. "We know who King is! It's a _huge_ break through!"

Elphaba was still frowning. "We don't know it's him for sure," she pointed out. "We just know that they both went to Shiz and were both Quadlings."

Galinda rolled her eyes. "It's him," she insisted stubbornly.

Elphaba looked between the yearbook and the art books for a moment and then lifted her chin determinedly.

"I'm going to the _Gazette_ archives," she announced.

"Why?" Nessa asked. "To look for what?"

"I don't know yet," Elphaba confessed. "I'll let you know when I know."

First of all, she had to track down Rais and beg him to lend her his key to the _Gazette_ office, which he wasn't thrillified about on a Saturday morning, but Elphaba was nothing if not persistent.

The _Gazette_ office was empty and completely silent, which made it easy for Elphaba to lose herself among the archives, until Fiyero found her late that afternoon.

"What are you doing?" he asked her wearily, sitting down on the edge of the nearest table.

Elphaba tore herself away from the archived issue she was currently reading to glance at him, and a faint smirk teased its way across her lips for a moment.

"Good night last night?" she asked him innocently.

"It was a late night," Fiyero acknowledged. "I got back to my room around three am."

Elphaba chuckled. "It's actually nice to know you haven't _completely_ changed," she admitted.

Fiyero grinned faintly. "That's not an answer, Fae. What are you doing?"

Elphaba gestured to the papers around her. "Looking for… well, I still don't know. How did you know I was here?"

"Galinda. She told me that you girls found King, and then you disappeared here."

Elphaba nodded. "Kole Ingram," she said, the name still sounding odd to her ears after referring to him as 'King' for so long.

"We still don't have any hard proof, but it's our most likely possibility."

"So, how does this relate to the papers?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba shrugged, pushing back her hair tiredly. "Kole Ingram was an artist. Nessa says he was only 'moderately successful', whatever _that_ means. But I'm hoping he at least warranted the odd mention in the Arts section of the _Gazette_ once in a while."

She sighed, frowning distantly. "I wish I had access to archives of the bigger papers from here," she complained. " _The Oracle_ or _The Chronicle._ I don't know when I'll get my next chance to go to The Emerald City."

"Galinda said she was going to ask Link to find records," Fiyero frowned.

"Yes, but I'm impatient," Elphaba confessed with a small smile.

Fiyero grinned. "Any luck so far?"

"Not yet. But Nessa's hopefully going to get more information from her Art History teacher too."

Elphaba sighed and then looked up at Fiyero.

"Can I show you something?"

"I thought you didn't find anything?"

"I haven't," she said quietly. "This is something else."

Fiyero frowned at the solemn look on her face and agreed. Elphaba got up and put the papers away, before leading him back to Crage Hall and up to her room.

There, from her nightstand drawer, she pulled out the letter from her father.

"I got this from Papa yesterday," she explained. "And I want you to read it. It's long, but I want you to read it."

"Ok," Fiyero agreed without hesitation.

Elphaba knew by now that Fiyero was a slow reader, although it didn't bug her any less than it used to. While he read, she paced the space between her and Galinda's bed, biting her nails.

When he finally finished reading, Fiyero put the letter down and looked up at Elphaba softly. Elphaba paused in her pacing, turning to face him.

Fiyero got to his feet and wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"I'm sorry about everything you went through as a kid," he murmured in her ear. "I wish I'd known you then. And I'm so glad that Annalie came into your life to help your father realise everything he had."

Elphaba looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest.

"I told you my father would like you eventually."

Fiyero's grip tightened on her, even as he shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, I'm a likeable guy."

Elphaba chuckled and he kissed her lightly.

"Have you thought any more about seeing the psychologist?" he asked her.

Elphaba's eyebrows rose in surprise. She hadn't told Fiyero about Annalie's suggestion.

"Annalie told me when she was here," he explained.

"When?" she demanded.

Fiyero shrugged. "When you were in the bathroom."

Elphaba pulled away with a sigh and sat on the bed, rolling her eyes slightly. "Of _course_ she did," she muttered.

Fiyero sat down next to her, taking her hand in his.

"It could be a good idea," he suggested. "Give you someone to talk to."

"I can talk to you," Elphaba pointed out.

"Of course you can," Fiyero agreed, squeezing her hand. "Always, Fae. I just mean someone with actual advice."

He hesitated briefly. "Coming to terms with the… abuse," he said with difficulty and Elphaba winced slightly.

"I know things have changed, but it still _happened._ I saw how hard that hit you," he said gently.

Elphaba sighed again. "I'll think about it," she said.

Fiyero raised his eyebrows at her pointedly until she rolled her eyes.

"Ok, I'll do it. _One_ session," she warned him. "That's it."

He grinned. "I'll take it."

Once the others filled him in, Boq offered to help Elphaba search the archives, which she accepted gratefully.

"Hey, I offered to help! You said no," Fiyero complained.

"Yes, because you'd help for five minutes and then start distracting me or get bored," Elphaba replied knowingly.

Fiyero grinned unashamedly. "Yeah, that sounds right."

It thrillified Fiyero to see Elphaba become more like herself after Annalie's visit and her father's letter and he was pleased to see her turn her attention back to the letters. Even if that meant spending hours in the _Gazette_ archives or obsessing over how to find out more information about Kole Ingram when all they could do was wait to hear from either Dr Tarrana or Link.

Dr Tarrana came through with information for them first, giving Nessarose what information she had been able to track down on Thursday after class.

"Kole Ingram was born in 1817 and died in 1886," Nessa told them as they ate dinner at _The Wilted Rose._

"That's only fifty years ago," Fiyero noted, doing the math quickly. "That makes him sixty-nine when he died."

"That sounds young. Is that young?" Galinda asked.

"If he was living now it'd be below the average life expectancy," Elphaba replied. "But I'm not sure about back then. What else did Dr Tarrana find out?"

"Not much," Nessa admitted. "Just some information on his art that wouldn't interest anyone but me, I suppose. _But_ she did say that there's a woman in Gilikin who has the largest private collection of Ingram's art in Oz. Her family owns it all. If you ever see one of his paintings in a museum or gallery, it's on loan to them from this family."

That caught Galinda's interest. "What family? Does she know?" she demanded.

"The Stengel family," Nessa replied, frowning a little. "Why? Do you know them?"

Galinda's eyes were wide with excitement. "No. But Kole Ingram never became hugely famous, right? But some woman in Gilikin just _happens_ to own all his work? What if there's a connection between the Stengel family and Alivia?"

Nessa's eyes widened, but Elphaba frowned.

"Nessa, we haven't found anything suggesting Alivia and Blaze had children."

Galinda wasn't deterred. "Ok, but who else would buy _all_ his art?" she demanded.

"Art lovers?" Nessa suggested, looking a little offended.

After all, this _was_ the field she was hoping to make her career in.

"Maybe it's related to one of Ali's sisters?" Fiyero suggested. "She had two, didn't she?"

"But I thought Alivia's family didn't approve of Kole? Why would they buy his art?" Boq asked.

"Once someone becomes famous enough people change their minds," Galinda said wisely. "I'm going to ask my parents if they know anything about the Stengel family."

So that night, Galinda wrote to her parents to ask about the Stengel family. Elphaba sat at her desk, organising her notes on the story of the letter- the notes that were still in no way, shape or form a book on the subject.

"I'm updating Link too," Galinda said. "What were the dates? For Kole Ingram?"

Elphaba looked up. "1817 to 1886," she answered and then turned to her. "Are things serious with you and Link? You haven't dated anyone else this semester. Not since you met him."

Galinda looked up from her letter thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. It's hard to judge when we've only seen each other a few times. I'm just enjoying writing to him for now, and it _is_ handy having him as a contact for information, isn't it?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, don't lead him on if you don't like him, just because of the letters. That's not fair. Isn't that in your ridiculous book?"

"Um, flirting is _fun,_ and the best part!" Galinda insisted. "I'm not leading him on. I'm… exploring what's there. And besides, he writes some beautiful letters, don't get me wrong. But I need someone who's able to flirt back with me. Who can keep up. I need more time to figure out if Link can do that."

"That makes sense," Elphaba said.

"Besides," Galinda continued. "As the Bible says, 'Flirting will either ignite a spark, flame it, or keep it from dying, depending on where you are in the relationship. And being willing to risk a fire hazard doesn't make you a pyromaniac."

Elphaba stared at her blankly. "I- I can't even go there with that one," she said and turned back to her work.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN. Only 8 chapters left after this, guys.**

 **I hope you all liked the last chapter as much as I do- it's one of my favourites. Something I forgot to mention last chapter- now that we know a little about King, re-reading his letter in Chapter 18 may prove inspiring.**

 **Chapter 30**

Elphaba had not been idle on _The Gazette_ this semester, but her profile piece on Alivia was still… well, non-existent. She was still lacking the hook, according to both Rais and herself.

There were just far too many questions that they had no answers to. After her marriage to Blaze, Alivia seemed to disappear from public records. And from Shiz, Elphaba just didn't have the access to resources to be able to comb through every issue of the society pages of _The Oracle_ from the past hundred years in case she was mentioned.

It was driving her crazy to be stuck and have no answers, but in some ways, having the article to obsess over was a welcome distraction from thinking about the press. While the press continued to write about Elphaba and Fiyero, there were no further articles about Elphaba's family or childhood at least. She'd had a letter from home only the day before, reassuring her and Nessa that there had been no further talk of Frex being made to stand down as Governor.

Elphaba had also kept her promise to Fiyero and Annalie to see someone. She'd seen the counsellor Shiz offered on campus, although she was determined to only keep it to one session. When she'd explained that to the counsellor, the woman had given her a list of book and resource recommendations and a reminder that her door was always open.

"Are you sure books is the best way to deal with this?" Fiyero frowned, looking at some of the books on the list she'd found in the library.

Elphaba shrugged. "It's how I've dealt with everything else in my life, why should this be any different?"

She crossed her arms over her stomach. "I don't like talking about this with strangers," she said. "There's a reason it took me a month to tell you. There's a reason Galinda didn't find out until it was in the press. And I got a weird feeling from the counsellor."

"What kind of feeling?"

"Like she didn't believe Papa had changed. She kept asking questions about what he was like, as if she was trying to trick me into revealing that he's a horrendible father and I'm still being mistreated. I didn't like her," she said, her chin lifting defiantly.

Fiyero had accepted that. "Ok," he said simply.

He'd even read a few of the books on the list himself, which had won him numerous brownie points with his girlfriend.

Boq was helping Elphaba comb through _The Gazette_ archives in their spare time, and it was he who lucked out, almost a week after they had discoverated Kole Ingram's identity.

He'd been searching while Elphaba and Fiyero were in their Constitutional Law class that morning and met them afterwards. Being met at the end of class always gave Elphaba a little anxiety now, her first thought being that some new horrendible article had been published, but Boq looked too excited for that to be the case.

"What did you find?" Elphaba asked Boq.

"I found Kole's obituary in the _Gazette!"_

Elphaba perked up in interest, but Fiyero frowned.

"Ok, but we already know when he died?"

"Yes," Boq acknowledged. "But we didn't know how. _Or_ that he had a wife, three kids and thirteen grandchildren _.'"_

"Thirteen grandchildren?!" Fiyero exclaimed.

"How did he die?" Elphaba asked at the same time.

"Alzheimer's Disease," Boq answered Elphaba. "Here, look. I made a copy."

Elphaba grabbed it from him and skimmed it hastily, skipping over the parts about his career.

"Mr Ingram is survived by his wife of thirty-four years, Mrs Maylis Ingram, and their children Mr Golzar Ingram, Mrs Kala Ingram-Nariman and Mr Wright Ingram. Mr Ingram was a doting husband, father, father-in-law and proud grandfather to thirteen grandchildren."

"So, I helped, right? What do you do from here?" Boq asked Elphaba.

Elphaba smiled brightly at the Munchkin. "You helped. You helped a _lot,"_ she told him. "As for where we go next… do you think it would be out of line if I wrote to his kids? Just to confirm that he _is_ King? Maybe he mentioned Alivia to one of them?"

"How would you even find them?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba bit her lip. "City directories?" she suggested. "They'd be in the Hall of Records, right? Or the library? Maybe Link could look them up for us," she mused, frowning slightly.

Fiyero grinned. "Alright, I guess this is a good time to give you your anniversary present."

Elphaba turned to him in bewilderment.

"Anniversary present?" she repeated. "We're not doing anniversary presents."

They hadn't done presents for their anniversary since their first month. That day was their nine-month anniversary, and they weren't even doing dinner to festivate, because they had an assignment due for their Torts class on Friday that was worth almost half of their grade for the subject, and Elphaba was putting extra effort into it as a result.

"If it helps, I spent no money on it," Fiyero reassured her.

Elphaba frowned.

"I thought we could go to the Emerald City this weekend," Fiyero said. "You can dig through any archives you want then."

Elphaba gaped at him momentarily. "Are you serious?!"

He shrugged. "Why not? I just organised a carriage and told my parents, so they could make sure the apartment was ready. No big deal."

Elphaba looked as though she was debating whether or not to protest against the trip, and Fiyero took her hand.

"I know how much it bothers you to not do any of the actual searching yourself," he said gently.

"I don't know who's more impatient to get letters from Link, you or Glin. Well, that's not true," he amended. "It's definishly Galinda. But still."

She laughed and hugged him. "It's perfect. Thank you, Yero."

"Well, don't thank me yet," he warned her. "Galinda's coming too."

Fiyero had let slip his plans to the blonde, and she had immediately invited herself along as a chance to see Link.

They would leave Friday afternoon once Elphaba and Fiyero had their last class and would return on Sunday night. And Friday's post brought a reply from Galinda's parents about the Stengel family.

"Momsie's met Mrs Stengel at a few functions, but she doesn't know her that well," Galinda told them over lunch. "She's married with children- three daughters and a son, apparently. All older than us. Momsie knows that she's on the board for several charities, mainly do to with art. The only thing Momsie and Popsicle know about her art collection is that she is quite generous about lending pieces out to galleries and museums. But they gave me her address. Do we write to her?"

"And say what?" Fiyero asked.

"I wish we could _see_ the art," Nessa said wistfully.

Elphaba was rather hesitant. "I wish we knew if there was a connection between her and Alivia. Maybe we wait in case we can find something out this weekend?" she suggested.

"I'm with Nessa," Galinda admitted. "I'd rather like to see all the art, although I know nothing about it. So, I think Elphie's right. Let's see if she finds something in the City and then decide."

Elphaba chose to overlook Galinda's phrasing of _"she"_ over _"we"_ there.

The one worry Elphaba had about going to the Emerald City for the weekend was that Nessa wasn't going. But Nessa wasn't concerned about remaining behind.

"I really don't feel like going," she confessed when Elphaba took a moment to check on her. "I've got a huge assignment for my Art History class I need to work on, and I'm going out to dinner on Saturday night for Norfina's birthday. I'm fine, Fabala. Besides, even if you're doing research, it's still your anniversary trip, isn't it? I don't want to intrude."

"Galinda has no such qualms about intruding," laughed Elphaba. "Do you think I have to let Papa and Anna know? Before they read about it in a tabloid that we've run off and eloped or something?"

Nessa giggled. "The press has been a lot better recently, haven't they? Besides, Papa and Ima know not to believe anything they read unless it comes from you."

That was true, although it depended on how you defined "better". Still, Elphaba sent a quick note on Friday morning to let them know about the trip, focusing more on the research side of things rather than the anniversary side.

She, Fiyero and Galinda arrived at the Emerald City on Friday night in time to meet Link for a late dinner. Galinda was both delighted to see him and anguished over not having enough time to refresh herself before seeing him.

"I'm all… _ugh!"_ she complained, fussing with her hair before the mirror in the master bedroom she had somehow convinced Fiyero to give her for their weekend.

Neither Elphaba nor Fiyero had any real idea how _that_ had happened.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, come on. It's a casual dinner. Can we just go?"

"Fine," Galinda grumbled.

She wasn't happy, but her face still lit up as they entered the restaurant and she saw Link.

" _Hi!"_ she greeted him, flashing him a brilliant smile.

Link smiled, still looking slightly dazzled by her as he kissed her cheek. "Hello, Galinda. Hi, Fiyero. Elphaba."

"Hi," Elphaba said, taking a seat as Link and Fiyero shook hands.

"How was the trip?" Link asked them.

Galinda sighed. "The trip was fine, but we got away later than planned because _someone_ kept chatting with her teacher," she said, glaring at Elphaba.

"I had a question!" Elphaba defended herself.

Link laughed. "This trip is really for your anniversary, isn't it?" he asked them. "How long?"

"Nine months," Fiyero replied promptly, beaming at Elphaba.

Galinda rolled her eyes at them. "Elphie's the only person I know who would want a trip like this for an anniversary," she told Link. "And Fiyero's the only person who would think of giving it to her and who could make it romantic. It's why they're perfect for each other."

"Aw, that's sweet Glin," Fiyero said cheerfully. "What can I say? I'm a romantic guy."

Elphaba smiled at him softly. Galinda had a point, although there were a few other things that topped Elphaba's list of the most romantic things Fiyero had done for her.

After dinner, Link accompanied them back to the apartment to show them what he'd discoverated since he'd last written to Galinda.

"Ok, about Alivia," he began, pulling out a notepad from his satchel.

Elphaba had her own notebook ready, pen poised to take notes and ignoring Fiyero's stifled smile over this.

"You found something?"

"Yes and no," Link nodded. "Nothing new on Alivia yet. But with Kole Ingram, yes. He married a Maylis Villon in 1852. You said his obituary listed children?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yes, three. Does the Hall of Record keep city directories from all of Oz?"

"I'd check the library first," Link advised. "They should have them. You're going to write his children?"

Elphaba shrugged. "It's our best chance to confirm that Kole Ingram _is_ King. As far as we know, Alivia had no children. I know it's a long shot, but maybe Kole Ingram told his children something about her."

"It's worth a shot," Link agreed.

Elphaba was already formulating a plan.

"Ok, if someone goes to the library tomorrow and looks in the city directory, I want to go through _The Oracle_ archives."

"I'll go with Link!" Galinda volunteered immediately.

Elphaba bit back a smile and agreed. It was decided that Galinda and Link would go to the library and then meet Elphaba and Fiyero at the archives.

Then Link wanted to take Galinda out to dinner the next night, which Galinda was incredibly excited for. This would leave Elphaba and Fiyero with the apartment to themselves.

"If we don't spend the whole night in the archives looking through old newspapers," Fiyero grumbled.

"Which sounds super romantic, don't get me wrong," he added hastily as Elphaba stared at him exasperatedly.

She laughed.

Elphaba was really hoping to find any mention of Alivia in the society pages, or the obituaries. Which was the task she gave Fiyero the next day when they arrived at the archives, directing him to the issues from fifty years ago, starting with October 1856.

"Why October?" he asked her.

"Death records are made public fifty years to the day," Elphaba explained. "So, if Alivia died fifty years ago today, her death certificate would enter public records tomorrow. Link still hasn't found it, so we know she died after October twenty-fourth."

That made sense to Fiyero. "Right. And I get the obits, why?"

"Would you rather look through the society pages?" Elphaba asked him. "Because I'm happy to switch."

"Oz, no. Those people are boring. I'm happy with the dead people," Fiyero reassured her.

Galinda and Link arrived two hours later, which seemed to be a very long time to look up some addresses, but Elphaba refrained from making comment as when they _did_ arrive, they had the addresses for all three of Kole Ingram's children.

"Can we help with the papers?" Link asked Elphaba.

"Sure," Elphaba agreed. "Do you want society pages or obituaries?"

"Society pages," Galinda replied quickly.

With four of them, the search went much quicker. Galinda and Elphaba found the odd reference to Alivia and Blaze attending some social event or another, and some mentions even had pictures attached.

"He's rather good looking," Galinda conceded reluctantly, examining a photo of Blaze and Alivia at a charity ball.

"You sound disappointed. Why do you sound disappointed?" Fiyero asked her, frowning.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "She doesn't want to like him because Ali married him and not Kole," she translated.

"He seemed like such a _jerk_ in the letters!" Galinda exclaimed. "But look at him!"

"Glin, just because you think he's good looking, doesn't mean he's not a jerk," Elphaba pointed out.

"This is true," Fiyero agreed thoughtfully. "I know a lot of good looking jerks."

"Yet you chose to pretend you were one of them," Elphaba said.

Fiyero grinned at her. "It's sweet you think I'm good looking, Fae."

Elphaba rolled her eyes at him and went back to the newspapers.

Every time they found a mention of Alivia, Elphaba would log the date and event in her notebook, trying to create a timeline.

The most peculiar thing to note was that Alivia and Blaze seemed to disappear from society in February of 1855. They were reading through October of that year without any mention of them, when Fiyero caught their attention.

"Fae, when did Kole die?" he asked Elphaba.

Elphaba frowned slightly. "Um, December twenty-ninth, 1886. Why?"

"Alivia died three weeks after him," Fiyero said quietly.

Elphaba and Galinda immediately hurried over to look.

Alivia's obituary was brief, but it was there.

 _Mrs Alivia Gumme, nee Benitz, dead at sixty-eight. She will be dearly missed by her husband, Blaze Gumme, friends and family._

"That's it?!" Galinda demanded. "That's all we get?"

Elphaba was quiet for a long moment.

"It's more than we had," she finally said.

She went back to her notebook and jotted down the information.

 _Jan 19, 1887- Alivia died._

Then she sighed and pushed back her hair from her face.

"Ok, shall we call it a day?" she suggested.

Fiyero frowned, but Galinda quickly agreed.

She wanted plenty of time to get ready for her dinner with Link that evening, and she'd more than reached her limit of how much time she was willing to spend in a dusty room.

They bid Link farewell outside the library and headed back to the apartment, Galinda hurrying ahead to make the most of her time before Link would come pick her up.

Fiyero and Elphaba followed at a more leisurely pace, hand in hand.

"What do you want to do for dinner tonight?" he asked her. "There's a great little pasta place on the East side which is supposed to be good. I could get us a reservation."

Elphaba bit her lip. "Could we just stay in?" she asked him. "Get something delivered?"

"Sure," Fiyero agreed immediately. "You ok?"

"I'm just tired," she shrugged. "I'd rather just be with you than a bunch of people."

Fiyero certainly wasn't going to complain about alone time with Elphaba, although he suspected there was more to it than that. He just didn't know what exactly.

Once Galinda had left for her date with Link, Elphaba and Fiyero had food delivered and then settled in for a quiet night.

Elphaba set about trying to draft a letter to Kole Ingram's children, and Fiyero brought out his Economics textbook, which he'd reluctantly packed with him after his teacher had assigned a huge stack of reading for next week's class.

"Do you think she loved him?"

Fiyero blinked rapidly a few times, rubbing his forehead with a finger tiredly.

"Sorry, what was that Fae?" he asked her.

He wasn't getting much reading done. Elphaba had started off sitting at the other end of the couch to him but had moved to the floor to lie on a quilt by the fire after he "kept distracting her"; and Fiyero found watching the firelight dance over her hair and skin much more interesting than his microeconomics textbook.

Elphaba took off her reading glasses and pushed her book aside, rolling on to her side slightly to face him.

"Do you think she loved him?' she repeated. "Alivia, I mean."

Fiyero frowned. "Loved King? I mean, Kole?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, Blaze."

Fiyero stared at her blankly. "Where did _that_ come from?"

Elphaba gestured to her notebook. "I was just thinking. Do you think she grew to love Blaze after they were married? Or was she miserable for the rest of her life?"

"I don't know," Fiyero said honestly.

"She and Kole were apart for fifty years and they died three weeks apart, Yero," Elphaba reminded him solemnly. "What do you call that? Coincidence? Fate?"

Fiyero tossed his textbook aside and moved down to the floor beside her.

"Fae, you don't believe in fate," he reminded her gently. "Or soulmates."

"I didn't say anything about soulmates," Elphaba protested.

"But you were thinking about it," Fiyero said knowingly, slipping his hands around her waist. He slid his fingers under the bottom hem of her top, trailing his fingers along the waistband of her skirt.

He'd rather abandoned his rule about exposed skin in recent weeks, eager to be as close to her as physically possible. Or as much as she would allow.

Elphaba sat up on the floor, winding her arms around his neck.

"Maybe," she conceded with a sigh. "I've been hanging around Galinda too much I think."

Fiyero chuckled.

"Three weeks, Yero," she said softly. "She died _three weeks_ after him."

"Makes sense," Fiyero replied solemnly, shrugging as he rested his forehead against hers. "I mean, I know that I wouldn't want to live in a world without you."

Tears pricked at Elphaba's eyes as she kissed him fiercely. Fiyero pulled her closer, deepening the kiss and gently lowering her back against the quilt, moving to lie atop her. Elphaba wrapped her legs around his hips, and Fiyero groaned as he pressed himself against her, sliding his hand slowly up her thigh beneath her skirt.

Elphaba tugged off his shirt to caress his chest and stomach, her fingers trailing along the muscles in his shoulders. Fiyero's mouth was all along her neck and chest, nibbling at her skin as it danced in the firelight.

"I love you," he breathed against her lips, pulling back when he could bear it no longer. He ached for her, and he didn't know what was worse at this point, touching her or not touching her.

Elphaba slid her hand down his bare chest, feeling his heart pound beneath her hand. Her throat was dry and she swallowed, letting out a shaky breath as she met his gaze.

"Did you still want to have sex?"

Fiyero's eyes flashed darkly for a moment and then he kissed her deeply, taking her breath away.

"That is the _stupidest_ question you've ever asked me," he told her sternly.

Then he frowned slightly, gently brushing her hair behind her ear as his face softened. "Fae, are you _sure?"_

Elphaba nodded, albeit a little nervously. "Yes. Not tonight _,_ " she said cautiously. "But I'm sure. I love you," she told him quietly. "More than anything."

Fiyero kissed her softly.

"You're my everything, you know that?" he whispered.

Elphaba ran her thumb along his jaw tenderly. "Me too," she replied faintly, a statement that scared her more than she was willing to admit.

They lay on the floor by the fireside a while longer, until eventually Fiyero knew he had to leave her. It was after eleven o'clock, but Galinda still wasn't back. And he didn't think any of them wanted her to walk in the door and find them as they were.

"Come to bed," he urged Elphaba, who looked about to fall asleep.

Her eyebrow lifted ever so slightly. " _Your_ bed?"

"I'll behave, I promise," Fiyero said with a slight grin. "Just to sleep."

Elphaba was torn.

"Galinda's going to want to gush over Link when she gets back," she said. "If she comes looking for me-"

Fiyero nodded knowingly. "Yeah, ok."

He kissed her once more and reluctantly pulled away. "Night, Fae."

"Goodnight," Elphaba said softly.

Once he'd left for bed, Elphaba tried to make sure she looked presentable, moving back to the sofa and staring distantly into the dying fire.

Sleeping with Fiyero wasn't something she'd been thinking about for a long time, but they'd both known they were building towards this since the summer. She knew this was what she wanted. She was ready. But that didn't mean she wasn't nervous about the idea.

Galinda waltzed back into the apartment at a quarter to midnight, dreamy-eyed and not looking at all tired.

"You're still up!" she exclaimed in a loud whisper when she spotted Elphaba on the couch.

Elphaba nodded tiredly. "Yeah."

Galinda sat down on the couch, beaming. "Oh, Elphie. I just had the most _perfect_ night. We just talked for _hours,_ and we only left the restaurant because they were closing. Then we just went and found a coffeeshop that was still open to talk more! I swear, I had _three_ double espresso cappuccinos. I won't sleep for a week!"

Galinda was exhausting at the best of times, let alone on a caffeine high, and Elphaba inwardly groaned.

As expected, Galinda had to tell her every detail of her night, everything she and Link had talked about and everything she had learned about him. There was a solid ten minutes just describing the kiss he had bestowed upon her at the elevator door, including an explanation of Galinda's personal rating system for dates and kisses, and where Link rated among her past dates. Elphaba could barely get a word in edgewise, but she wasn't really needed to hold up her end of the conversation.

"I'm glad you had a good night," she finally said, suppressing a yawn.

Galinda frowned slightly. "You look tired," she said, as though she'd finally noticed.

"I am," Elphaba admitted. "But I figured if I was asleep when you came back, you'd just wake me up."

"Oh, I was planning on it," Galinda admitted readily. "Where's Fiyero?"

"He went to bed about half an hour ago. I'm going to head off too, before I fall asleep."

Galinda nodded. "Sure. How do you counter caffeine?" she wondered aloud.

Elphaba chuckled. "Try some tea and a hot shower?" she suggested.

"Thanks. Oh, we're meeting Link for lunch tomorrow," Galinda informed her. "Can you let Fiyero know in the morning?"

Elphaba nodded. "Sure," she agreed. "Goodnight, Glin."

"Night, Elphie," Galinda answered, skipping over to the kitchen.

Elphaba disappeared into the blue room she was staying in and changed into her nightgown and braided her hair for sleep. She climbed into bed and settled under the covers, switching off the lamp and plunging the room into darkness.

Through the window, the faintest green light shone through, light from the streetlamps bouncing off the emerald buildings and tinging the very air green. But the city was silent. After a few minutes, Elphaba heard Galinda's heels click down the hall to the master suite, and the gentle click of the door shut a moment later.

And suddenly Elphaba was wide awake.

She lay there for a moment, her heart quickening as she stared up at the ceiling in the darkness. Then she slipped out of bed and quietly opened the door. Her bare feet made no sound as she crossed the hall over to Fiyero's room.

His room was silent as she opened the door, and she thought he was asleep for a moment, making her pause uncertainly in the doorway. But then he lifted his head in the darkness and he drew back the covers without saying a word. Elphaba said nothing either as she climbed in and he wrapped an arm around her waist tightly, pulling her to him.

"Glin's back, then?" he finally asked.

Elphaba nodded. "After three double espresso cappuccinos," she said and Fiyero snorted.

"Oh, Oz," was all he commented.

Elphaba smiled.

Fiyero rolled on his side to face her, and they simply stared at one another for a time, lit only by the light from outside.

It wasn't long however, until Elphaba's eyelids grew heavy and she was straining to keep them open. Every blink was more of a struggle to open them, and Fiyero lightly tracing up and down her spine wasn't helping. Elphaba didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing she knew, the room was filled with sunlight and Fiyero was lying beside her, still watching her.

"You did sleep, right?" she murmured. "You didn't just watch me all night?"

Fiyero grinned. "I slept," he confirmed.

Elphaba yawned slightly. "What time is it?"

"Early. About eight."

Elphaba hummed in acknowledgement, her eyes falling shut again.

Fiyero leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose lightly, and Elphaba opened her eyes, reaching out to stroke her thumb down his stubbly cheek.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he replied, kissing her sweetly. "I really like waking up next to you," he told her.

Elphaba's lips curved into a smile as she kissed him, nestling deeper into his embrace and resting her head on his chest.

"Did you want to do anything before we leave for school?" he asked her.

"Hm, not really," Elphaba said. "We're having lunch with Link, apparently. Galinda told me last night."

Fiyero nodded. "Sure."

They lay in silence for a while, and then Fiyero looked to her.

"So, I was thinking."

"About?"

"About last night."

Elphaba tensed slightly, looking up at him. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I was thinking that I want it to be special. What do you think about the dance?"

"The dance?" Elphaba repeated, puzzled.

Fiyero nodded, moving so that they were facing one another.

"Yeah. We could just… hang out in my suite after the dance? See what happens?"

Elphaba paused thoughtfully. "That would be nice," she said softly.

They lay there quietly, Fiyero loosely playing with her fingers.

"Can I ask you something?" Elphaba asked him.

"Anything," Fiyero replied immediately.

Elphaba bit her lip hesitantly. "You know what, never mind. We can talk about it later."

Fiyero nudged her gently, grinning at her. "Come on, Fae. What is it? You've got your reporter face on."

Elphaba rolled her eyes slightly and his face softened.

"What do you want to know, Fae?"

"How many girls have you slept with?"

The question didn't really blindside him, but he still took a moment before replying, exhaling slowly.

"Less than you'd think?"

Elphaba looked at him exasperatedly. "Yero. Come on."

Fiyero entwined his fingers with hers, resting their joined hands on top of the covers.

"Eight," he said simply.

"How old were you? The first time?"

"Seventeen."

Fiyero sighed a little. "She was kind of a friend."

Elphaba frowned. " _Kind of?"_

"She was the daughter of a Fliaan Prince- cousin to the monarch or something. Her father had gone to university in the Vinkus with my dad, so they'd come visit like once or twice a year. She was a year or so older than me."

Elphaba nodded but said nothing.

"Fliaan is still big on arranged marriages, especially among nobility," Fiyero explained. "She was arranged to marry this guy- I think he was a Duke or Baron of some kind. Anyway, she wanted to lose her virginity on her own terms, so to speak. So we had an… agreement."

Elphaba suppressed a snort at his phrasing.

"That is… oddly chivalrous and almost sweet in a way," Elphaba said. "I didn't realise Fliaan still had arranged marriages."

Fiyero shrugged. "She seems happy enough last I heard. They're still married, with five kids I think."

"Would your parents ever consider an arranged marriage?"

"Nah. Dad always said he doesn't want to shoulder any of the blame for whatever poor girl is stuck with me for the rest of her life," Fiyero joked and then squeezed her hand gently. "That's all on you."

Elphaba laughed slightly and kissed him softly. "I'm okay with that," she told him.

 **AN. I hope the last half of this chapter makes up for the fact that it's not the dance yet, haha.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

It took a week to get a reply from one of Kole Ingram's children. Elphaba picked up the letter from the administration office on Monday afternoon, and immediately went in search of Galinda.

She was in Pfannee and Shen-Shen's room with the girls. Galinda had finally chosen her dress for the dance, so she and her friends were trialling different make up looks before the night. At least, Elphaba was pretty sure that's what she had said. She'd admittedly tuned out once the word "makeup" had been uttered.

Pfannee opened the door to her knock and sniffed when she saw Elphaba standing there.

"What do _you_ want?"

"I'm looking for Galinda."

Pfannee rolled her eyes and turned around. "Galinda, your roommate is here."

Galinda's head popped into sight. "Hey, Elphie. Is everything ok?"

"I got a letter today," Elphaba said simply and Galinda's face lit up.

" _Oh!_ Ok. One second."

She collected her makeup bag and bid a hasty goodbye to Pfannee, Shen-Shen and Milla before hurrying out of the room.

"Have you read it yet?" she demanded impatiently, as she fell into step with Elphaba. "Which child is it from?"

"I'm not sure," Elphaba admitted. "The return address says it's from Mr Fedde Ingram. I'm thinking he's one of Kole's grandchildren, or some other relative."

She, Galinda, Nessa and Fiyero gathered in Nessa's room. Xia was in the library, working on an assignment for one of her own courses.

"Open it, open it, open it!" Galinda demanded impatiently, bouncing from one foot to the other.

Elphaba glared at her and Galinda stopped bouncing immediately, sitting primly on the edge of the bed.

"Please open it?" she tried again.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and opened the letter.

" _Dear Miss Elphaba,"_ she read aloud.

" _My name is Fedde Ingram. Kole Ingram was my grandfather. I'm writing on behalf of my father, Wright Ingram. He is seventy-four and not in the best health, so he has asked me to respond to your letter on his behalf._

 _He was very intrigued to hear the story of my grandfather's letters that you found at Shiz. As was I. My grandfather died three years before I was born, so I was never able to meet him, although I have always enjoyed hearing stories as I grew up. My father is happy to pass on whatever information he can to help you._

 _I can confirm that my grandfather did attend Shiz University for two years until he was forced to leave because of family reasons. My father says he never spoke of it much, although he insisted that all his children get a university degree and did the same for all his grandchildren. All the money he made from his art went to providing for his family's education. Nothing was more important to him._

 _My father said that Kole never spoke of Alivia Gumme (nee Benitz); however, the name is somewhat familiar to him. You may know that my grandfather suffered from Alzheimer's Disease in the years leading up to his death. According to my father, Kole would often get confusified and ask for 'Ali'. He would call my grandmother by her name and repeat that he had to meet Ali 'at the lucky spot', sounding quite insistent from what my father remembers._

 _Do you know what the 'lucky spot' refers to? My family has always wondered about this, although at least the name Ali makes some sense now. My grandfather's family asked a few friends that had gone to Shiz with my grandfather about this lucky spot, but never got a clear response._

 _If you have any more questions, please write._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Fedde Ingram."_

In the silence that followed, Fiyero let out a low whistle.

"Wow. Who saw _that_ coming?"

Even Galinda was lost for words, and Nessa was still coming to terms with everything they had learned in the Emerald City.

"I so wish we could see his art," Nessa said wistfully. "It sounds like Kole had an amazing life. I'd love to see how that translates into his work."

That spurred Galinda into motion. "Why don't we go?" she suggested. "I could find out if Mrs Stengel allows visitors and we could go visit one weekend to see the art? Or over Lurlinemas break?"

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "You'd be willing to wait until Lurlinemas break?"

"If I had to," Galinda conceded reluctantly.

Nessa turned to her sister. "Do you think Papa and Ima would agree? Grandma and Grandad might be coming, remember?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I think as long as we were actually home for Lurlinemas they would. It doesn't hurt to ask, right?"

Galinda's face lit up. "Oh, and it would give me the _perfect_ excuse to throw a New Year's Eve party!"

Elphaba groaned. "Galinda, we've already got the alumni dance coming up. Can we get past that first before you start planning a gala for New Years?"

Galinda rolled her eyes but agreed.

That night, Elphaba sat at her desk adding notes to what they had learned from Fedde Ingram's letter. As she re-read the last paragraph, she frowned thoughtfully.

 _The lucky spot._

Elphaba pulled out the letters and turned to the final letter they had from Kole, his confirmation to Alivia of their elopement plans.

" _I'm leaving tonight. I'll meet you when you get out of your last class, at the spot where we first met. That was the moment where I think I used up all my luck, eshgham. Because I can come up with no other explanation to account for how I managed to meet you and win your heart._

 _It seems so fitting that it is in that same spot I will once again be lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with you._

 _I'm counting every moment until I get to see you again and hold you in my arms. I love you. Until the end of time. K."_

Elphaba immediately turned to Galinda.

"Do you think that this is 'the lucky spot'? The spot where they met?"

Galinda had teared up again as she read the letter. The last letter always made her cry, and the more they learned about what happened to Kole and Alivia after the letters stopped, the more it made her cry.

"I think so," she said, reaching for a tissue to dab at her eyes without ruining her makeup. "I wish we knew where the spot was. We still don't know how they met."

"True," Elphaba frowned slightly.

"It's just so sad that we really know more about the _end_ of their story than the beginning," Galinda complained.

Elphaba straightened in her seat. "That's it!" she breathed.

"What's it?" Galinda asked.

Elphaba was already scrambling for pen and paper.

"Later," she promised.

Galinda shrugged and returned to her magazine she was reading.

Elphaba wrote furiously that night. When Galinda went to bed and complained Elphaba was keeping her awake with the light on, she moved into the bathroom to write. She sat on the cold floor against the bathtub with her notepad balanced on her knees, filling pages and only pausing to check the odd note or date from her notes. The sky was beginning to lighten when Elphaba finally crawled into bed and fell asleep, feeling as though a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She woke up at ten-thirty as Galinda left for her Sociology class, and it took her a moment to remember just why she'd slept so late. With a panic, she also realised she'd missed the _Gazette_ meeting that morning.

" _Shit,"_ she swore, leaping out of bed. "Why the hell didn't Galinda wake me?" she demanded aloud to the empty room as she dashed for the closet to get dressed.

"Of course, Galinda didn't wake me. _She_ doesn't go to the meetings, so why would she think to wake _me_ for it?"

She hastily dressed, pulled her hair back into a ponytail and then hurried out the door, just remembering to grab her notepad on her way out.

"I am so, _so,_ sorry!" she gasped to Rais, breathless from running all the way to the _Gazette_ office. "I overslept."

"I figured you'd have a good excuse," Rais nodded, looking up at her.

Elphaba rubbed at a stitch in her side. "I was up writing," she explained, panting faintly. "I didn't get to bed until dawn."

Rais looked more interested now. "Better excuse," he said approvingly. "Writing stuff for me?"

"About the Alivia piece," Elphaba confirmed. "I think I have the hook."

Rais gestured for her to have a seat beside him. "Tell me."

"Alivia disappears from the society pages in February 1855, and we haven't found when she reappears next. The next thing we have for her is her obituary, thirty-two years later."

"Illness?" Rais guessed. "That could cause someone to retreat from society."

"It's a theory," Elphaba nodded. "But I was talking to Galinda last night, and she said something about how we know more about end of her relationship with Kole than the beginning. Rais, the hook is what we _don't_ know. The hook is the holes in the story."

Rais leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. "Interesting," he mused. "Can you get me a-"

He cut off as Elphaba dropped her notepad on his desk.

"-Draft?" he finished, picking it up. "Thanks. I'll check it out and get back to you tomorrow with notes," he said.

"Thank you. Did I miss anything in the meeting this morning?" Elphaba asked.

Rais filled her in and gave her a new story assignment. Elphaba apologised twice more before she left him, heading over to her desk.

"Where were you this morning?" Boq asked, looking up from his work.

"I overslept," Elphaba replied.

It had been rather overshadowed in the discovery of Alivia's obituary and the timing of her death, but Alivia's sudden disappearance from the society pages was something that Elphaba had kept coming back to the night before as she wrote.

"Maybe something big happened that year?" Boq mused after she'd filled him in. "Like, maybe she and Blaze weren't the only ones that disappeared, but you didn't notice because you were only looking for Alivia?"

"Like what?" Elphaba frowned.

Boq shrugged. "I don't know. An epidemic of some kind? Maybe someone else in her family died and she was in mourning? That would fit the period, wouldn't it?"

Elphaba considered that, frowning thoughtfully. "I think so. I'll check with Galinda. She's been reading a lot about that recently."

Boq nodded. "We could also look at the _Gazette_ archives for that year?" he suggested. "See if something major happened?"

"It's worth a shot," Elphaba agreed. "But not right now. I've got a mountain of work to do. I'm off to the library. Can you let Yero know when you see him in Economics?"

Boq nodded. "Sure. Um, before you leave," he said quickly, before she could disappear. "Do you know what colour dress Nessarose is wearing? To the dance?"

"Navy blue and gold. Why?"

Boq looked slightly awkward. "Well, I thought I might get her a corsage for the dance. I didn't want it to clash," he mumbled.

Elphaba smiled softly. "White is always a good way to go," she advised and headed for the library.

The dance was a little over two weeks away, and it was suddenly starting to feel very real for Elphaba. Not the dance itself so much, but what might come afterwards.

Fiyero had been very careful to reassure her that nothing had to happen and there was no pressure. But that didn't mean that Elphaba wasn't nervous.

So, she dealt with her nerves the best way she knew how- preparation and research.

On Thursday afternoon, she made a stop after her Literature class before returning to her dorm. When she entered the room, Galinda was waiting for her impatiently.

" _There you are!"_ she exclaimed. "Where have you been?! Your class got out _forty-five minutes ago._ I need your help!"

Elphaba dumped her bag on her desk patiently. "It was thirty-five minutes, not forty-five. And I had something I had to do. What's the big emergency?"

Galinda grabbed her dress for the dance that was hanging off the closet door.

"There's a _tear_ in the tulle. Look! Can you fix it?"

Elphaba glanced at the dress and nodded. "That's easy. Calm down, will you? It's barely even noticeable."

Galinda huffed. "Elphie. I want everything to be _perfect_ for the dance. It's a _very_ important night."

Elphaba nodded slowly. "Yeah, I get that," she said softly.

"Where were you?" she demanded. "With Fiyero?"

Elphaba shook her head as she dug out her little sewing basket.

"No, I had to go see the nurse."

Galinda frowned. "Are you not feeling well?"

A look of panic crossed her face. "You're not getting sick, are you? Is it contagious? Because I can _not_ get sick before the dance, Elphaba! If I lose or gain a single pound, this dress will not fit!"

"I'm fine," Elphaba reassured her. "But it's good to know you're so concerned with my health," she said dryly.

Galinda waved a hand dismissively. "Of course I am," she said distantly, her attention back on her dress.

Elphaba paused, and then turned to her roommate.

"Actually, could I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," Galinda agreed, still fussing over the tear in her dress.

"About something important, Galinda."

That caught Galinda's attention and she came and sat down on Elphaba's bed. "What's going on?"

Elphaba sat down and let out a breath.

"Fiyero and I-"

"Are getting married?!" Galinda demanded excitedly.

Elphaba stared at her exasperatedly, and Galinda giggled apologetically. "Sorry. Go on."

"Fiyero and I are going to have sex," Elphaba told her bluntly.

Galinda gasped slightly, her eyes widening. "What? _Seriously?!_ You're talking about this?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah. The night of the dance… maybe."

"Maybe?"

"We're just going to see what happens. He says he doesn't want to rush me."

"But you _might_?"

"I want to," Elphaba said softly. "I really want to," she admitted, averting her gaze.

Galinda's eyes were huge. "Elphie, this is so _huge!_ Is- is that why you were at the nurse?"

Elphaba nodded. "The _last_ thing I need right now is a baby."

Galinda nodded in agreement. "Sure, sure. Are you nervous?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper despite them being alone in the room.

"Yes," Elphaba admitted readily. "But only because this really isn't something you can study for from a book. And Fiyero lost his virginity to a freaking Duchess or something! I can't compete with that," she sighed, rubbing her eyes with a frown and her shoulders sagging somewhat.

Galinda giggled. "Elphie, I don't think being nobility makes you better at sex than anyone else."

Elphaba sighed again. "I know that. But still."

Galinda took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Elphie, he _loves_ you. The Bible says-"

Elphaba cut her off with a groan. "Galinda, please don't quote the Bible right now," she said tiredly.

Galinda sighed but agreed. "He loves you. And you love him. That's all that matters. Everything else will work itself out," she said confidently.

Elphaba smiled faintly and nodded. "Thanks, Galinda. Show me that tear again?"

Much to her surprise, Elphaba found she was getting more than a few requests from students who needed last minute alterations or repairs to their dresses for the dance. Elphaba was usually happy to help out, as long as it was simple things that wouldn't take too long.

Even Pfannee had asked her for her help, when she'd gotten her dress hemmed and it had been done crooked. Elphaba had hesitated, but ultimately relented and helped her out. The reluctant "thank you" Pfannee had given her in return was possibly the kindest thing the girl had ever said to Elphaba.

In the meantime, they had received a reply from Kole's daughter, Kala. She told them much the same that Fedde had told them regarding Alivia, although her letter contained a few favourite stories about her father.

" _My parents loved each other very much. I think what bonded them was that they had both lost those they had loved before, although in different circumstances. Our father never spoke of Alivia to us children, but I think our mother knew of her, although Maman never spoke of it to us._

 _I do remember that Uncle Jair, our godfather, came to visit the year after Pa died. I remember that he was very sad, saying something about being the only one left. I didn't quite understand then, but I suppose now that he was referring to his old friends. I find myself in a similar stage of life at the moment, I'm afraid."_

"Does that mean that Wynter died around the same time?" Fiyero asked Elphaba when she shared this news with them over lunch.

"Maybe," Elphaba sighed. "I'll add it to the list of questions to find out. We've never really looked into what happened to Wynter, did we?"

"She's not as interesting as Alivia and Kole," Galinda said dismissively. "We haven't looked into Jair, either."

"That's true," Elphaba frowned. "Should we?"

Fiyero shrugged.

Nessa chuckled. "It can't hurt, Fabala," she said. Then she picked up her bookbag from the table and placed it on her lap.

"I've got a paper to write, before I have dinner with Salmythe. I'll see you all later."

Elphaba grabbed her things too. "I'll come with you," she said quickly, kissing Fiyero lightly and following after her sister.

They went to Nessa's room and while Nessa wheeled herself over to her desk, Elphaba sat on the bed.

"What's going on Fabala?" Nessa asked her.

Elphaba cleared her throat. "Well, something… _big_ is sort of happening, and I wanted to tell you about it. Because you're my sister, and I like telling you when something big is happening."

Nessa frowned. "Big? About you and Fiyero?"

"Yeah. We're- we're taking the next step," she said carefully.

It took Nessa only a moment to connect the dots and her eyes widened. _"Ohh,"_ she breathed. " _Wow._ Really?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah. I love him, Nessie. And we're ready for it."

"I know you love him, Elphaba," Nessa said gently. "And I know how much he loves you. Have you talked to Ima about this?"

"Not exactly," Elphaba admitted. "It was briefly mentioned a while ago, but she doesn't know. I don't think it's really something to put in a letter."

Her paper and dinner plans forgotten, Nessa wheeled herself over to the bed and swung herself out of her chair so that she could sit on the bed. Elphaba sat down beside her, both girls sitting against the pillows.

"How did you know you were ready?" Nessa asked her sister.

Elphaba stared at the ceiling with a thoughtful frown.

"I don't really know," she said quietly. "It was just like something clicked one day, you know? That whether we spend the rest of our lives together or not, I'm in love with him. And he's the person I want to have that memory with."

Nessa looked at her. "Will you tell me when it happens?"

"Do you want me to tell you?" Elphaba asked.

Her sister hesitated. "I don't need _details,"_ she stressed, which made Elphaba laugh. "But… something. You've always told me everything. I don't want that to stop."

Elphaba squeezed her hand lightly. "It won't," she promised.

"I know you have Fiyero to confide in now, and you and Galinda are close friends-"

"Hey," Elphaba interrupted. "Nessie, you're my sister. ' _A bond unlike any other',_ remember?" she quoted Annalie. "Nothing will ever change that."

Nessa beamed. "Good."

The reply from the eldest Ingram child, Golzar, arrived on the following Monday, and by far the most informative. Elphaba opened it on Monday afternoon while she was spending time with her sister in her room.

" _The first thing to note is that Kole Ingram was not my biological father. I was born during my mother's first marriage and my father died when I was four years old. Kole knew my mother, as she was friends with his sister. He married my mother a year later and adopted me._

 _I had never heard of Alivia until Kole got sick and started to become confusified. Sometimes in his more lucid moments, I would ask him about who Alivia was, but he never gave a response._

" _Someone from the past," was his most common response._

 _Kole did talk about Shiz a lot, mostly in terms of the classes he had taken and how much he regretted not being able to graduate. He instilled a great appreciation for education in myself and my siblings. In fact, the only time I ever recall him becoming angry with us was when we failed to take our education seriously. I once neglected to complete a school assignment and was grounded for a month. I never did that again._

 _Most of Kole's other stories about Shiz involved our Uncle Jair, Kole's best friend and college roommate. He would visit often, once a month for a weekend. I adored Aunt Wynter, who you also mentioned in your letter. She would visit once or twice a year, with her husband and daughter, Lula. Sadly, Aunt Wynter died when I was eight years old. Some kind of accident if I recall, with her husband. After that, I lost track of Lula, I'm afraid."_

Elphaba stared at Nessarose with wide eyes.

" _This!"_ she stressed. _"This_ is why we should have been looking into Wynter as well! She _died_."

She dug through her back for her notebook, flicking through the pages.

"What?" Nessa asked. "What are you thinking?"

Elphaba's mind was swirling. "Golzar said Wynter died when he was eight. And if he was five when Kole married his wife in 1852, that would mean he was born in… 1847, right?"

Nessa wrinkled her nose as she mentally did the math. "Sure," she agreed.

Elphaba was scribbling down dates. "Which means that he was eight in 1855… the same year that Alivia and Blaze disappeared from the society pages. What if that's why? What if they disappeared because Wynter died?"

"That _would_ make sense," Nessa agreed.

"And if Wynter died in 1855, that's more than fifty years ago. Her death certificate should be public records," Elphaba continued thoughtfully. "And she probably has an obituary… I need to go find Galinda. If we're lucky, Link can find them before he comes out for the dance next weekend."

Elphaba scrambled off the bed and grabbed her things.

"Oh, when you see Galinda, don't forget to tell her Papa and Ima said we can stay with her after Lurlinemas," Nessa told her.

Elphaba nodded. "Are you writing them back now? Tell them I said hi," she requested.

"I will."

Frex and Annalie had written to Nessa that morning in response to the latest update on the letters, and Galinda's invitation. Annalie's parents, Pim and Lilou would be coming to Munchkinland for the holiday; but as Elphaba had predicted, Frex and Annalie had agreed that the girls could spend the remainder of Lurlinemas break at the Upland's home after Lurlinemas- including New Years.

Galinda had been silent on the idea of throwing a New Year's Eve party since she'd first invited them, but Elphaba was sure that it was already in the works. She'd learned Galinda's silence was often more telling than her speeches.

She found Galinda in the _Gazette_ office, putting the final touches on her column for the week. When Elphaba showed her the letter from Golzar, Galinda squealed. People barely glanced over anymore, they were more than used to Galinda's outbursts by now.

"Oh, _finally!_ Did we learn anything new?" she demanded.

Elphaba pulled up a chair beside her and handed her the letter. "Wynter died the same year Alivia disappeared," she told her. "A carriage accident with her husband. But she had a daughter, and I'm not sure if the daughter was in the accident or not."

Galinda gasped, reading the letter. "Oh, Lula is my middle name!" she cried. "Do you think that means anything?!"

"I think it means there's been more than one person in Oz with the name Lula throughout history," Elphaba said dryly.

Galinda waved a dismissive hand. "If she wasn't in the accident, or if she survived, what happened to her?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Elphaba shrugged. "I'm assuming Wynter's family took her in? Or her husbands? I was hoping Link may be able to find out for us. Will you ask him, please? Also, if he can find Wynter's obituary?"

"I'll ask him," Galinda promised. "Oh, Elphie. Isn't this exciting? We're finally getting answers!"

Elphaba smiled and nodded. It was true, it was all coming together. But the idea of knowing the end of the story oddly made her a little melancholy. She just wasn't sure why.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Fiyero was determined to make the night of the dance special for Elphaba's first time. For their first time. He wanted to be able to give her the most perfect night she could imagine. He just wasn't exactly sure how to do that.

"Let me ask you something, Glin," he said to Galinda one day the week of the ball.

They had all agreed to meet at _The Wilted Rose_ for lunch, but only Fiyero and Galinda had arrived so far.

Fiyero knew both Nessa and Galinda were aware of their plans.

"I don't keep secrets from Nessa," Elphaba had told him apologetically. "And Galinda… we share a room."

She said it as though that explained it all, but it rather did in Fiyero's mind.

Galinda sipped her coffee now, raising a quizzical eyebrow at him. "You can ask me," she agreed. "I may not answer."

Fiyero leaned over the table towards her, dropping his voice slightly.

"Saturday night," he said. "I want it be perfect. What would make it perfect?"

Galinda didn't miss a beat, holding up her left hand and wiggling her ring finger at him. "A ring."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Glin. Come on. Seriously. What would make it perfect? What would you want?"

Galinda put down her coffee cup with a thoughtful sigh, resting her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand.

" _Well,"_ she began. "If it was _me,_ I'd want it to be after a big party with all my friends and family, where there's dancing and cake. Possibly following some kind of ceremony where we declare our love for one another…"

"Galinda, that's a wedding," Fiyero said exasperatedly.

"Some might call it that," Galinda replied innocently and he rolled his eyes again.

"Galinda, if Fae said she wanted to wait until we were married, I would. But for the moment, at least, that's not the plan. So, can you just- what? What's with that face?"

Galinda was beaming at him. "You're really going to marry her one day, aren't you?"

Fiyero froze for a moment and then met Galinda's gaze as solemn as she had ever seen him.

"I hope so," he said quietly.

Galinda couldn't stop smiling. "Fiyero, I think you know Elphaba better than anyone. Except maybe Nessa," she amended. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I just know what a huge deal this is for her. I don't want to ruin it," he said.

Galinda cocked her head sympathetically. "You know my favourite thing about you and Elphie?" she asked him.

"Our incredible good looks?" Fiyero guessed.

Galinda laughed. "Besides that. You're both way more romantic than anyone suspects."

Fiyero looked at her quizzically.

"I'm serious!" Galinda insisted. "Look at your reputation."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Yes, Galinda. We've had this conversation before."

"Exactly. You have this reputation, but you do very sweet things for Elphie all the time. And then look at her- Elphie's a very practical, logical person. But I know she was hoping just as much as Nessa and I were that Ali and Kole would end up together. Her book? As much as she said it was about family and luck or whatever, it was a love story."

"Fae told you what her novel was about?" Fiyero asked, surprised.

"I saved her notes, remember? I may have skimmed them before I gave them back to her," Galinda admitted. "She doesn't know."

She shrugged. "Anyway. My point is, this is why you're perfect together. You both have… hidden depths. Romantic depths."

Fiyero frowned at her. "That is actually helpful," he admitted. "Thanks, Glin."

Galinda smiled smugly. "Of course it was helpful. _This_ is why I have an advice column," she reminded him.

Fiyero nodded. "Of course."

Every day of the week of the dance, there seemed to be more and more people around campus and town as alumni and important guests arrived from all over Oz. Many classes had guest speakers of former students and teachers who had achieved success in that particular field; and even _The Gazette_ had strangers wandering around- former writers, editors and staffers reliving their youth.

Rais was driving _The Gazette_ staff crazy this week as they put together the anniversary issue. A highly respected journalist who had been editor of _The Gazette_ during his Shiz years was spending a lot of time in the office, and Rais wanted to make a good impression. But this was the week Elphaba's profile on Alivia was finally being published, and she felt sick to her stomach about it.

"Everyone here is going to be reading it," she told Fiyero. "What if they hate it?"

Fiyero gently rubbed the nape of her neck. "Fae, we go through this every time," he reminded her. "And you've been working on this for months. Just relax, it's out of your hands now. If you wanted to go into journalism for a career after school, that would be fair enough. Have you changed your mind about that?"

"Oz no," Elphaba sighed. Everything she and Fiyero had gone through at the beginning of the semester had killed any kindling of a desire for a career in journalism she may have developed in her first year.

"So, don't worry about it," Fiyero repeated. "Focus on sucking up to all the fancy lawyers here this week instead."

Elphaba had to laugh at that.

On the Wednesday before the dance, Elphaba and Fiyero entered their Constitutional Law class to find a guest lecturer in attendance.

"Oh, I wonder who she is," Elphaba whispered to Fiyero as they took their seats.

"Probably some boring lady with some boring job who thinks that spending three hours nit-picking over the wording of a law is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon," Fiyero replied.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Good morning class!" Dr Tuskpelt announced to them. "I would like to introduce an alumna speaker for us today. This is Nomiki Belloq, who graduated from Shiz University in 1917. She has spent the past fifteen years working with the Vinkun royal family."

Elphaba's head whipped around to Fiyero as Dr Tuskpelt continued to list Nomiki Belloq's post-graduate achievements.

"I told you. _Ruined_ my twelfth birthday party," he muttered with a scowl.

Elphaba stared at him exasperatedly for a moment, and then shook her head as she turned back to the front.

After the lecture, which Elphaba found much more interesting than Fiyero did, some students hung around to meet Ms Belloq. Elphaba wanted to meet her too, so Fiyero reluctantly waited with her, after his arguments that he already _knew_ Ms Belloq got him absolutely nowhere.

"Ah, yes. Miss Elphaba Thropp, Ms Nomiki Belloq," Dr Tuskpelt introduced them.

"Hello, Ms Belloq. It's really nice to meet you. It was a fascinating lecture," Elphaba said sincerely, shaking her hand.

"Miss Elphaba," Ms Belloq nodded. "I've heard much about you. Hello, your Highness," she added to Fiyero, curtseying slightly.

"Hi," Fiyero said unenthusiastically. Elphaba elbowed him slightly.

Ms Belloq was unbothered however and turned back to Elphaba.

"Are you thinking of practicing constitutional law after school, Miss Elphaba?"

"I'm actually not sure yet," Elphaba admitted. "I can't quite decide."

Ms Belloq nodded with a smile. "I understand. Dr Tuskpelt says you're good at research."

"I do enjoy it," Elphaba said agreeably.

"Then constitutional law would be a good fit," Ms Belloq said. Her eyes flickered between her and Fiyero for a moment. "Of course, it would also serve you well as future queen."

Elphaba and Fiyero both froze.

"Oh," Elphaba said faintly.

"Property law or contract law would also be practical avenues for that," Ms Belloq advised.

Elphaba's stomach churned. _Future Queen._ It wasn't even said as a possibility, but as a certainty.

Not sure what else to say in response to that, Elphaba murmured a thank you, and Fiyero hastily led her from the classroom.

Elphaba hugged herself tightly as they stepped outside into the chilly air. It hadn't snowed yet, but there had been a few morning frosts this week and there was a definite chill in the air.

"We haven't really talked about it… officially," Fiyero broke the silence as they crossed the courtyard.

Elphaba couldn't feign ignorance about what he was referring to. They'd discussed wanting to spend the rest of their lives together but had never discussed what a future for them actually entailed- Elphaba as queen.

"No," Elphaba murmured. "We haven't."

There had been numerous stories at the beginning of the semester that discussed Elphaba's future as queen, but Fiyero had brushed them off, telling Elphaba to ignore them. He hadn't realised that people working with his parents were seeing their marriage as a definite outcome. He wondered if the idea had come from the press or his parents.

She came to a halt and turned to him with a sigh, running a hand through her hair.

"Why haven't we talked about this?" he asked her.

"Yero, we agreed that we wouldn't make long term plans. We wouldn't worry about what would happen after graduation."

"Yes," Fiyero nodded. "And I've recently decided that I don't care about that anymore."

"Recently in the past ten seconds?" Elphaba guessed.

He grinned. "Not _that_ recent."

Fiyero led her over to a nearby bench and sat down, turning to face her.

"Why don't you want to make plans?"

Elphaba stared at him incredulously. "Why don't _I_ want to make plans?" she repeated. "Yero, _you_ started this, remember? With all your 'live in the moment, dancing through life' crap."

Fiyero chose to ignore that.

"Fae. Come on. You _know_ that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I know," Elphaba sighed. "But that's… a dream. It's a hope. It's not a plan. It's different."

"So why can't we make plans?"

"Because it'll hurt!" Elphaba burst out, hot tears springing to her eyes. "Because if we make plans and then it all falls apart, it'll _hurt_."

Fiyero's face softened and he leaned over to kiss her.

"It's always going to hurt, Fae," he murmured.

Elphaba nodded miserably. She knew this.

"Hey, Yero!"

Fiyero turned his head and nodded at some friends from his Economics class that were walking past.

"Hey," he called back and then turned back to Elphaba. "Come on."

He led her up to his suite and as soon as they were inside he pressed her against the closed door and kissed her soundly, cupping her face in his hands. Elphaba leaned up into him, gripping his arms just above his elbows as she deepened the kiss.

Fiyero pulled off her coat and shed his own, sliding his hands down her slides slowly as he trailed his lips down her neck.

"I kinda thought we were up here to make plans," Elphaba said breathlessly, tilting her head to give him better access.

"I like this plan," Fiyero murmured against her skin.

Elphaba laughed. " _Yero."_

He sighed and pulled away reluctantly. "Fine," he grumbled.

He grabbed her hand and led her over to the couch. Elphaba nestled into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I know that the whole royal life is a lot to deal with," he continued. "All the press stuff, and the lack of privacy, and all the responsibility. I hate it, but I don't have a choice in dealing with it. You do."

Elphaba lifted her head, looking to him with a frown.

"I don't have a choice," she said firmly.

Fiyero frowned. "Of course you do."

Elphaba shook her head. "No. Fiyero, I _love_ you," she stressed.

She entwined her fingers with his and took a deep breath. "I want a life with you," she said, her throat constricting slightly. "And everything that goes along with that. The good and the bad."

Fiyero pulled her to him and kissed her softly, running a hand through her hair.

"Do you want kids?" he asked her quietly.

"In general, or with you?"

He gave a half-smile. "Either."

She paused. "I never used to think about it," she said honestly. "I _like_ kids… well, I like Ottah's kids," she amended. "And Ismene, Anna's best friend back in Munchkinland, she's got three kids who are pretty great. And well, Tomaz. I guess I _have_ to like him, because he's my brother, but-"

"Elphaba, you're rambling," Fiyero cut her off.

Elphaba exhaled slowly. "Growing up, I never really thought I'd have kids of my own," she said carefully. "You?"

Fiyero stifled a smile at her casual attempt at deflecting the question back on to him but answered readily.

"I kinda _have_ to have kids," he pointed out. "The whole heir thing. Unless I want to pass the throne to my second cousin, Tama. Who's kind of a jerk."

Elphaba made a sound that may have been a chuckle that was hastily forced into a cough. Fiyero ignored it.

"Ok, so here's my plan," he told her quietly. "One day, I'm going to marry you. And we're going to have a family, and eventually rule the Vinkus together. At which you will be _way_ better than I am, I'm sure. How does that sound?"

Elphaba laughed, tearfully. "It sounds really nice," she said softly.

"But you're still scared, aren't you?" Fiyero asked her gently.

She nodded. "Yeah. Ali chose Kole, didn't she? I've told you about Annalie's plans. And look what happened to them."

"Elphaba, it's not the same," Fiyero said firmly. "What can I do to convince you of that?"

Elphaba exhaled and shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," she confessed. "Time?"

Fiyero kissed her lightly. "We have all the time in the world," he promised her.

Link came into town on Friday night after he finished work, much to Galinda's delight. She had grand plans to take him for dinner at _The Peacock_ and make the most of their weekend together before he had to return to the city _._

"Change of plans!" Galinda burst out as she rushed into her dorm room, where Elphaba was doing some reading for class.

"We're all having dinner in Fiyero's suite. Can you cook?"

Elphaba put down her book and raised her eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Can you cook?" Galinda repeated impatiently. "Every place to eat in town is busy. Even the dining hall is ridiculously crowded."

"So, this naturally leads to me cooking. Does Fiyero know he's hosting dinner tonight?"

"He does _now,"_ Galinda shrugged, flinging open her closet doors. "The outfit I planned for the night is way too formal for just eating in Fiyero's room," she complained.

Elphaba sighed and sat up on her bed. "Glin, Fiyero's kitchen holds exactly a handful of cutlery, some plates and a few wine glasses and mugs. Things to eat off, not to cook with. And no food. What exactly do you want me to cook?"

" _I_ don't know. But I know I can't cook, Fiyero can't cook. Nessa can't really reach the stove, can she? But you _can_ cook, right?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and put her book aside.

"Why can't you and Link just go out as planned?"

"Link said he's found something. I thought we should all find out together," Galinda explained.

"Galinda, go out with Link as planned, and then we can all meet in Fiyero's suite afterwards to find out what Link found for us," Elphaba said patiently. "Whatever it is, it's lasted this long. It can wait a few more hours."

"Don't you want to know?" she demanded.

Elphaba grinned. "I do. But I think _you_ want to know, and I'm not sure you can wait until after dinner to find out with the rest of us."

"I can so wait!" Galinda insisted.

When Elphaba looked at her doubtfully, she lifted her chin. "I bet you anything that I can make it through dinner without finding out," she insisted.

Elphaba laughed. "Deal," she agreed. "What are the stakes?"

"Loser cleans the bathroom for the next month?" Galinda suggested.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Like you've ever cleaned the bathroom," she scoffed, but agreed.

While Galinda got ready for her date, Elphaba went and found Fiyero to fill him in on what was happening.

"Can you find Boq and see if he wants to come? I'll find Nessa."

"Sure," Fiyero agreed. "So, I should also make sure the place is presentable for visitors?"

Elphaba smiled wryly. "Would probably be a good idea," she agreed.

She found Nessa in her room, chatting with Xia.

"Hey," she said, sitting on the end of Nessa's bed. "So, Link's here. He and Glin are going for dinner tonight and then coming over to Fiyero's suite. Link's apparently found something else out, which I'm hoping means Wynter's obituary. Can you come? Xia, do you want to come?"

"Thank you for the invitation, Miss Elphaba, but I have dinner plans," Xia smiled at her. "I'm sure Nessarose will fill me in later."

"I'm in," Nessa agreed eagerly. "What time?"

"I'll come get you at eight," Elphaba said. "Yero and I will help you upstairs. Boq might be coming too. Fiyero's telling him."

They gathered at eight, but it was another half an hour before Galinda and Link arrived, Galinda giggling madly.

"Hi everyone," Link greeted them.

"Hey," Fiyero replied from where he sat on the couch, his feet on the coffee table with Elphaba curled up under his arm.

"I won the bet," Galinda announced, pointing to Elphaba.

She laughed. "Glin, no matter who won, we both know I was going to be the one cleaning the bathroom. But congratulotions."

"How was dinner?" Nessa asked.

"It was good. _The Peacock_ does a great lasagne."

"Isn't it great?" Fiyero agreed. "You should try their lamb rack. It comes with this awesome-"

"Less talk about food, more about the letters!" Galinda interrupted. "Link, sweetie, go. What did you find out?"

Link smiled at Galinda sweetly, adjusting his glasses and pulling out some papers from his jacket inner pocket.

"Alright," he said patiently. "Firstly, I found Wynter's obituary. She and her husband died in a carriage accident in February of 1855. The only survivor was their eleven-year-old daughter, Lula."

"Oh, that's so sad," Nessa whispered.

"And what happened to her?" Elphaba asked. "Is there a way to find that out?"

Link nodded. "Yes. I checked with the archived records of the probate court and found the will of Wynter and her husband. It stated that in the event of their death, custody of any children would be given to A-"

" _Alivia!"_ Galinda shrieked, making everyone wince.

"Geez, Galinda," Fiyero complained, rubbing at his ear. "Lower it a few decibels, will you?"

"Sorry," Galinda apologised insincerely, and then grabbed Link's arm. "I'm right, though. Aren't I?"

Link laughed. "Yes," he nodded. "You're right."

Galinda and Nessa both squealed.

"Hang on," Elphaba interjected, before they got too carried away. "That's just what Wynter and her husband wanted. Is that what actually happened?"

Link smiled knowingly. He'd apparently expected this question.

"I had the idea to look at the public census records," Link explained. "Because they'll list everyone in the household. Now, look at this. These are the records from the 1852 census."

Elphaba took the paper from him and found the line he'd underlined in red.

"Gumme, Blaze. Head of household. Alivia Gumme, wife," Elphaba read. "Ok, that's nothing new. Just them."

"Yes. But look at the records from the next census in 1859," Link said, handing her a second sheet of paper.

"Gumme, Blaze. Head of household. Alivia Gumme, wife. Lula Gumme, AD daughter."

Galinda gasped and reached over the table to snatch the paper from Elphaba's hands. "What's AD?" she demanded.

"Adopted," Elphaba and Link replied in unison.

Elphaba's voice was coloured with relief, and she _did_ feel oddly relieved to know that Alivia and Blaze had taken in Wynter's daughter.

Fiyero seemed to pick up on her tone, because he planted a kiss on the top of her head, then her temple and cheek.

"Good twist for your book," he murmured in her ear.

She elbowed him in the side. " _It's_ _not a book,"_ she hissed back at him.

He sniggered quietly.

When Elphaba and Galinda finally returned to their dorm room that night, they were both oddly quiet. Well, for Galinda it was odd.

"Elphie," she said thoughtfully as she sat on her bed and watched Elphaba sit at her desk.

"Hmm?" Elphaba replied, adding the new information about Wynter to her notes about the whole letter saga.

"When I get married and have children… if something happened, would you do what Alivia did?"

Elphaba lifted her head, startled.

"What?"

Galinda was looking at her solemnly. "If something happened to me, would you raise my children?"

Elphaba turned on her desk chair to face Galinda. "Are you serious? _Me?_ Why not your parents? Or- or Pfannee? Shen-Shen?"

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "Would _you_ trust Pfannee or Shen-Shen to take care of children?"

"Oh, _Sweet Oz,_ no," Elphaba said immediately. "What about Milla?"

Galinda giggled. "Milla would be a better option," she agreed. "But if I'm going to trust anyone else to raise my children, I'd want it to be my best friend."

Elphaba was rather overwhelmed. "I'm your best friend?"

Galinda nodded with a smile and Elphaba reached over to hug her.

"Thank you," she said simply once she'd moved back. "Although I'm afraid you'll have to settle for being my _second_ -best friend. Fiyero's not keen on relinquishing his title, even if we're dating," she chuckled and Galinda giggled.

"I suppose I can settle for second-best," she agreed. "Does this mean if something happened to you and Fiyero, I could raise them?"

Elphaba laughed slightly. "I'm not exactly what the protocol would be there, with royalty and all. But I suppose you could be godmother?"

"I'll take it," Galinda said immediately. "Alright, let's go to sleep. It's a big day tomorrow… and with any luck you won't be getting much sleep tomorrow night," she added slyly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

The dance was starting at six o'clock on Saturday night, which naturally, meant the girls had to start getting ready at four o'clock- at least in Galinda's mind.

"Galinda, it will not take me two hours to get ready," Elphaba sighed, when Galinda came to collect her from the student common area where she sat with Fiyero, Link, Nessa and Boq.

Galinda actually stamped her foot. _"Elphie,_ come _on!_ There's hair and makeup, and nail polish. There's so much to do! I _insist._ As your best friend."

Fiyero looked alarmed. "Best friend?" he repeated rather indignantly and faintly outraged.

Galinda sighed impatiently. " _Second-best friend,"_ she amended. "Calm down."

Fiyero looked satisfied with that.

"Come on, Elphie," she begged.

Elphaba finally gave in. "Alright, alright. I'm coming," she sighed.

Galinda flounced off in satisfaction while Elphaba collected her things.

"You and Galinda are best, er- second-best friends now?" Nessa asked her sister. "When did _that_ happen?"

"Yesterday," Elphaba replied. She turned to Fiyero. "I also may have promised her that she could be godmother to our children," she told him and then kissed him lightly. "See you in two hours."

Nessa turned to Fiyero with wide eyes. _"Children?!"_ she exclaimed as her sister departed.

Fiyero just grinned at her and said nothing.

At six o'clock that evening, Fiyero knocked on the door of Elphaba and Galinda's dorm, fidgeting slightly in his suit. He hated wearing these things. There was a muffled squeal from inside, the faint sound of Elphaba's voice in return and then the door opened.

He froze as he laid eyes on her, and he could only watch dazedly as she stepped out into the hall and shut the door behind her. He watched the pale fabric swish around her legs as she moved, drinking in the low cut back of the gown. Her hair had been curled and pulled back into a half updo, tendrils framing her face.

She said something, her voice appearing muffled and as though from a long distance, and he had to blink a few times before he came back to himself.

"Are you ok?" Elphaba asked him concernedly, clearly not for the first time.

Fiyero's face softened and he closed the distance between them to kiss her fiercely.

"You look so beautiful," he breathed.

Elphaba blushed faintly but smiled. "Thank you."

Fiyero shook his head dazedly. "You look like an angel," he said and she blushed even darker.

He pulled away with regret and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Elphaba nodded, slipping her hand through the crook of his elbow.

"Let's do this," she sighed, tightening her grip on the small clutch bag Galinda had lent her for the night.

Fiyero grinned. "It's not going to that bad, Fae," he laughed. "I promise. Although if you wanted to skip the party…"

Elphaba laughed as he kissed her sweetly. "Hey, I didn't let Galinda spend forty minutes doing my hair and makeup just for your benefit, you know."

"Yeah, but it's a little bit for my benefit, right?" Fiyero said, winking at her.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

As they entered the _OzDust Ballroom,_ Elphaba had to admit that it was a beautiful venue. Fiyero didn't think it held a candle to Elphaba, however.

Nessarose was already there with Boq and her friends when they entered, looking delighted. She beamed at Elphaba as she and Fiyero approached to say hello.

"I _told_ you the dress was perfect, Fabala," she said. "There's a photographer over there," she pointed out. "Don't forget we promised Ima we'd get some photos taken."

Elphaba sighed. "I know," she agreed. "Let me get a drink first, alright? And we should wait for Galinda and Link. She wants a group photo."

Galinda arrived fifteen minutes later, the perfect time to make a fashionably late, dramatic entrance. She certainly stood out, she'd chosen her deep red ballgown especially for that purpose and Link looked dazzled by her. Fiyero sympathised with the poor guy- he knew how he felt.

They got photographs taken in a variety of combinations, and then went their separate ways. Galinda dragged Link off to dance; Nessa and Boq settled somewhere off the dance floor where they could see everything and talk; and Fiyero had to wait for what seemed like an age before he could whisk Elphaba onto the dance floor. They kept being stopped by countless people who wanted to talk to them, most of whom he had absolutely no idea who they were.

Mostly people wanted to talk to Elphaba about her profile on Alivia that had been published that week in the _Gazette,_ or about the interview she'd done with Fiyero so long ago.

"Why does everyone want to talk to us?" he complained as they moved to the music. "I mean, I get why people want to talk to _you_ , but why me?"

Elphaba laughed. "Yero, you're a prince," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but I'm not that interesting."

Elphaba glanced around the room as they danced. "Do you think there's any press here tonight?"

She hadn't quite been able to stop herself from expecting tabloid articles every time she and Fiyero left campus.

Fiyero shrugged. "If they are, what are they going to write about us tonight? That you're the most gorgeous woman in the room tonight? That I'm insanely in love with you? Because that's all true, and I'm okay with that being printed."

Elphaba kissed him sweetly in the middle of the dance floor.

"I guess there are worse stories that have been printed about us," she said teasingly.

Later that night, Elphaba got stuck in a conversation with a pair of retired History professors for half an hour, as to why the piece on Alivia was the perfect example of why it was so important to study and record history.

Elphaba agreed with their points, but both professors were a little drunk at this point in the evening, and Elphaba couldn't see an end to the conversation in sight. As if he'd read her mind, Fiyero seemed to appear out of thin air at her side, politely excusing them and leading her away.

"Horrible Morrible's about to make a speech," he told her.

Elphaba made a face. "Great," she said, only imagining how long _that_ would go for.

Fiyero grinned knowingly. "You want to get out of here?" he murmured in her ear, his hand falling to the base of her spine.

Elphaba looked to him, her voice failing her as she saw the look in his eyes. She nodded.

"Wait," she said, as they headed for the door.

She wrinkled her nose. "Should we save the others? Spare them from enduring Morrible's speech?"

Fiyero looked over her head and Elphaba glanced back to see Morrible climbing the stairs to the stage.

She looked back to Fiyero, who raised an eyebrow at her expectantly.

"It's too late for them," she said as the music came to a stop.

Fiyero laughed and pulled her hurriedly towards the door.

They slipped away from the _OzDust_ and headed back to school in silence. Outside the door to his suite, Fiyero faltered nervously for a moment, before he unlocked the door and stepped aside for Elphaba to enter.

Elphaba drew in her breath softly as she took in the room. There was a fire crackling away in the grate and dozens of lit candles around the living area, while the floor was littered with rose petals, leading through the suite.

"Yero..." she whispered as Fiyero quietly closed the door behind them.

She dazedly dropped her clutch on the kitchen counter, turning to face him. He was watching her tentatively, trying to gauge her reaction.

"I want tonight to be perfect," he said simply.

Elphaba stepped up to him and kissed him deeply, cupping his jaw in her hands and leaning into his embrace, too overcome to put what she was feeling just then into words.

"You didn't leave these candles burning all night, did you?" she asked him when they finally broke apart. "Because I'm pretty sure that's a fire hazard."

Fiyero laughed. "No, I didn't," he reassured her. "I made arrangements. Do you want some champagne?"

Elphaba's eyebrow lifted. "Champagne?"

Fiyero nodded to the kitchen and Elphaba saw a bottle sitting in a silver bucket that she hadn't noticed before.

Elphaba nodded. "Sure. Champagne is good."

While he went to the kitchen, she sat down on the couch and kicked off her heels with relief, rubbing her aching feet.

"Here you go," Fiyero said, handing her a glass.

"Thanks."

He sat beside her, dumping his suit jacket on the back of the couch and tugging off his tie.

"Well, I would like to propose a toast," he said.

Elphaba smiled faintly as she turned to him. "To?"

"To us," Fiyero replied. "Happy ten-month anniversary, Fae."

"Happy ten-month anniversary," she said softly, clinking her glass against his.

She curled up against his side quietly and he placed his hand on her thigh, lightly pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Best ten months of my life, you know that?"

Elphaba smiled up at him. "They've been okay I guess," she teased, and he laughed, kissing the tip of her nose and the corner of her mouth.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked her.

"Surprisingly, yes," Elphaba admitted, taking another sip of champagne. "You?"

"It was one of the more fun formal events I've had to attend," Fiyero agreed. "And did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?"

Her lips curved into a smile. "Once or twice," she said, looking up at him. "I think the word 'angel' was mentioned."

Fiyero kissed her softly. "Good."

Elphaba moved forward to place her glass on the coffee table and then turned to face him.

"Thank you."

Fiyero frowned slightly, putting down his own glass. "For what?"

"For wanting tonight to be perfect," she said softly.

Fiyero pulled her to him gently, slipping his arms around her hips securely and kissed her sweetly. Elphaba undid her hair so it spilled completely down her back, giving Fiyero free access to run his fingers through the silky waves from her scalp down the length of her spine.

"How did I get so lucky to get you?" he wondered aloud.

Elphaba smiled faintly, her skin tingling beneath his fingers. "I thought it was fate, not luck."

Fiyero nodded slowly as his hands skimmed down her side. "Right. You know, I've been thinking about that. And I've decided you're wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Elphaba frowned.

"About fate and luck not being able to co-exist."

Elphaba looked at him questioningly and he shrugged. "Think about it," he urged her. "What if I hadn't come to Shiz? What if you'd gone to Shiz when you finished school, instead of working for your own tuition? What if it hadn't been my fate to find you?"

Elphaba still didn't believe in fate, but the thought of not knowing Fiyero wasn't one she wanted to dwell on.

"But everything worked out," Fiyero continued. "As much as I wish I'd met you years ago, I feel so lucky that my fate is you."

Elphaba considered his words for a moment, before leaning over and kissing him deeply. "Let's go to bed," she murmured.

Fiyero looked at her carefully. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure," she whispered.

Fiyero got up off the couch and extended a hand to her. She slipped her fingers into his and Fiyero raised it to his mouth, softly kissing her fingers and the back of her hand.

"I'll just deal with all the candles and the fire," he explained.

Elphaba nodded again and headed towards his bedroom, only stopping to collect her bag from the countertop. Fiyero's heart raced as he hastily dealt with any fire hazards in the suite before heading after her, following the trail of rose petals.

His steps slowed as he found her standing in the doorway, her back to him. With the fire and candles out, the suite was dark, yet her dress and skin still seemed to gleam in the darkness of the night. She looked more angelic to him than ever.

Fiyero came up behind her, gently drawing her hair over one shoulder to bare the skin of her back to him. He slipped his hands around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Want to know a secret?" he asked her.

Elphaba nodded.

"I'm nervous," he admitted.

Elphaba's heart fluttered slightly as she turned her head towards him slightly. "You are? Really?"

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. I've told you before- I only get nervous when things are important. And there's nothing more important to me than you, Fae."

She turned towards him and he moved so that she was leaning against the doorframe, his forehead resting against hers.

"We don't have to do anything," he reminded her, kissing her lightly.

"I know," she reassured him.

"We can stop any time."

"I know."

"I just-"

"Fiyero, will you shut up and kiss me?" Elphaba interrupted.

Fiyero grinned and obeyed, gently lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the bed, kicking the door shut behind him.


	33. Chapter 33

**AN. We have reached 450 reviews and I am just blown away. Thank you so much.**

 **Chapter 33**

The heavy curtains on Fiyero's bedroom window meant that one really lost all sense of time when they were shut, unless they looked at the clock on the nightstand. Fiyero could only tell it was daylight outside because of experience. For Elphaba, it could have been nine in the morning or at night, she could tell no difference.

But Fiyero wasn't interested in looking at the clock.

"Two kids," Elphaba whispered eventually.

Fiyero planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. "Hmm?"

Elphaba rolled over to face him. "I think two kids."

He broke into a grin. "Two?"

She nodded. "I may be willing to discuss a third at a later date. It depends on how much pregnancy and childbirth sucks. But I think it's good for kids to have a sibling."

Fiyero grinned and kissed her. "Ok. And Galinda is godmother?"

Elphaba laughed. "Yeah. Also, if something ever happens to her, I promised that I'd raise her kids."

Fiyero shook his head faintly. "I don't even know where to begin with that one, so sure."

Elphaba chuckled. "It's crazy, I know. Whoever would've guessed that Galinda would be my best friend?"

Fiyero looked at her pointedly and she rolled her eyes. " _Second-_ best friend," she amended. _"Really?"_

"Hey, I am not giving up my title of best friend, just because you happened to fall in love with me," Fiyero insisted.

Elphaba smiled, planting a trail of kisses up his sternum to his neck and mouth.

"I love you," she whispered against his skin and Fiyero rolled on top of her, hitching her leg around his hip.

"Can we just stay here forever, do you think?" he asked her.

"I think someone would come looking for us eventually," Elphaba replied and then frowned.

"What time is it?"

Fiyero looked over his shoulder to glance at his alarm clock on the nightstand. "About eleven o'clock in the morning."

Elphaba groaned, pushing Fiyero off her, much to his dismay. "Oh, crap. Galinda wanted us all to have brunch with Link before he went back to the Emerald City."

She sat up in bed, but Fiyero snagged her around the waist and pulled her back down.

"Nope. She won't miss us," he insisted. "She'll be all wrapped up in Link's dreamy eyes or whatever."

Elphaba laughed slightly. "Ok, but I'm hungry."

Fiyero sighed and got out of bed. "Hang on," he grumbled and left the bedroom.

He returned a minute later with a bag of potato chips and two bananas.

Elphaba sat up in bed, clutching the sheet to her chest. "Oh, wow. You actually have food here? And _fruit,_ even?" she said teasingly.

"Didn't I tell you I was going for perfect?" Fiyero replied, climbing back into bed.

Elphaba laughed, accepting a banana from him.

"So. Let's go back to talking about our two kids," Fiyero said, pulling her to him.

Elphaba settled against him contently, already forgetting about Galinda's brunch plans.

It was Monday morning when Elphaba returned to her dorm room. Fiyero, much to her surprise, had had the foresight to ask Galinda to pack a bag for her, so she wasn't walking back to Crage Hall in her evening gown and heels. It was something Elphaba had neglected to think of.

She was only stopping by to drop off her bag and grab her things for her Literature class. Elphaba jumped a mile as she stepped into the room and found Galinda and Nessa inside.

"What are you guys doing here?" she demanded. "Nessa, don't you have your Evian class right now?"

"It's cancelled today," Nessa said cheerfully.

"But we knew you'd never skip your Literature class, so we thought we'd wait for you," Galinda added.

Elphaba dumped her bag onto the bed and sat down. "And you're waiting for me _why_ exactly?" she asked, although she knew perfectly well why they were waiting.

Galinda rolled her eyes. _"Elphie."_

"We just wanted to know… how your weekend was," Nessa said vaguely.

Elphaba chuckled, running a hand through her hair as she curled up on the bed.

"It was nice," she replied, just as vaguely.

Galinda frowned. "Nice?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "For the love of Oz. Will you just ask what you want to know? I'm tired and I have class soon."

"Did you do it?" Galinda asked bluntly.

"Yes," Elphaba nodded.

"And how was it?"

"It was perfect," Elphaba replied softly.

"Do you feel different?" Nessa asked her hesitantly.

That made Elphaba falter, and her brow furrowed. "I… yes," she said slowly. "A little. Not really with _me,_ but things feel different with Yero."

"Good different?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah. Ok, I need coffee before I go to class. Any other questions?"

"I have many more questions," Galinda said flatly. "Can we have lunch? The three of us? _Wilted Rose?_ We'll meet you after class."

Elphaba shrugged. "Sure," she agreed. "But I'm not giving you guys details, ok? It's just…"

"We get it, Fabala," Nessa reassured her. "It's between you and Fiyero. Trust me, I do not want details," she said, making a slight face.

Elphaba laughed.

When Elphaba got out of her Literature class at noon, Nessa and Galinda were waiting for her.

"Ready for lunch?" Nessa asked her brightly.

Elphaba nodded. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"

" _The Wilted Rose?"_ Galinda suggested and the sisters agreed.

As they emerged into the courtyard, Elphaba heard a familiar whistle. She turned to see Fiyero approaching and her face broke into a smile as she walked over to him.

"Hi," she said softly.

Fiyero grinned, dipping his head to kiss her. "Hey, angel. Where are you off to?"

"Lunch with the girls. How was your Finance class this morning?"

He made a face and shook his head. "Not worth talking about. How long will you be at lunch? Can I steal you after for dinner? Stay the night?"

"Is dinner going to be more than potato chips and fruit?" Elphaba asked teasingly.

"I can probably manage a sandwich," Fiyero shrugged and Elphaba laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Grocery shopping and cooking. This is what we need to work on," she told him, winding her arms around his shoulders.

"Well, how about I meet you after lunch and you can give me my first lesson?" he suggested.

Elphaba nodded. "Ok," she agreed.

" _Elphaba,"_ Galinda said in an irritated tone from behind her. "Can we _go?_ Some of us are hungry. You know, for _food."_

Elphaba turned to her in horror. " _Galinda."_

Fiyero choked back a laugh and kissed Elphaba's cheek.

"I'll meet you in like an hour?" he asked her.

"Two hours," Galinda corrected him and then dragged Elphaba away.

Over lunch, Galinda and Nessa told Elphaba everything that had happened during the dance. Galinda mostly gushed about Link, but Nessa shyly contributed that she'd had a wonderful time with Boq.

"So, was it a date? Is this a thing now?" Galinda asked her.

"I don't know," Nessa replied. "I haven't really seen him since brunch yesterday."

Galinda's eyes lit up as she turned back to Elphaba. "Oh, yeah! Brunch! You missed it," she said accusingly.

"It was just brunch. Did I really miss anything important?" Elphaba asked.

"No," Nessa reassured her.

"Although," Galinda added. "Link said that he's going to look through the _Oracle_ archives for us and look for anything more on Alivia after 1855. He's also going to look into what happened to Lula."

"That's great," Elphaba said.

" _And,"_ Galinda added. "Link's going to come to my New Year's Eve party!"

She saw the look on Elphaba's face and pointed at her.

"The dance is over, I can plan it now. And these things take _time,_ you know? I've only got _five_ weeks to plan a party for a hundred people!"

"A _hundred people?"_ Elphaba demanded. "For a New Year's Eve party? Seriously, Galinda?"

"I have a lot of friends!" Galinda defended herself. "And it'll also be friends of my parents."

"It's not going to be a black-tie event, is it?" Elphaba asked warily.

"Cocktail," Galinda reassured her, and then cocked her head. "Or black-tie optional."

She turned to Nessarose. "Should I invite Boq? And Xia?"

"Xia's taking time off while we're on break," Nessa replied. "She's going to visit her family and go travelling with some friends. But you could invite Boq," she agreed.

Elphaba turned to her sister. "Remember when she used to call him 'Bick'?" she asked her, and Nessa giggled.

Elphaba answered Galinda's questions as much as she was able or willing to.

"We didn't even see you leave," Galinda pointed out. "You just disappeared."

"We slipped out as Morrible started to speak," Elphaba answered without thinking.

Galinda's eyes narrowed. "Wait," she said. "Are you saying that while we stood there, listening to Horrible Morrible recount every year of Shiz's one-hundred-and-fifty-year history as though she was actually there- and I'm still not entirely sure she wasn't; you and Fiyero were off having sex?"

Elphaba flushed, which gave Galinda her answer.

"I hate you," she said primly.

When Fiyero arrived to meet Elphaba, he greeted her with a kiss as he slid into the chair next to her.

"Hi, angel. You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Elphaba nodded.

They bought a few groceries and then returned to school.

"I'll just grab a few things and meet you in your suite," Elphaba told Fiyero, handing him the bag of food she was carrying.

"Ok," Fiyero agreed.

Elphaba hurried up to her dorm room, where Galinda was flipping through a magazine.

"Hey," Elphaba greeted Galinda.

"Hey," Galinda replied, watching her grab the bag she had brought back from Fiyero's that morning. "You're staying at Fiyero's tonight?" she asked knowingly.

Elphaba blushed faintly. "Yeah," she said, switching out a few things from the bag. "Is that okay?"

Galinda giggled. "Elphie, you don't need my permission."

Elphaba shrugged a little, grabbing a few things from her closet and tossing them into the bag.

"I do have one more question," Galinda spoke up. "No details required, I promise."

"What?"

"Did Fiyero call you _'angel'_ earlier? When did _that_ start?"

Elphaba's blush deepened. "Yesterday," she mumbled, avoiding Galinda's gaze.

Galinda smiled softly. "I think that's really sweet," she told her.

Elphaba nodded, still pointedly not looking at her friend. The first time Fiyero had let it slip, it had brought tears to her eyes, and it made her shiver every time. But that would be one of the details Elphaba wasn't revealing to anyone.

Elphaba grabbed her bag. "I'll see you later."

"Ok. Tell Fiyero about my New Year's party!" Galinda called after her as she left.

Fiyero was almost as unenthusiastic about the thought of the New Year's Eve party as Elphaba was.

"A hundred people for New Year's?" he grimaced, wiping dishes as Elphaba washed them after they'd eaten dinner.

"I know," Elphaba agreed. "But wouldn't you be used to this? Don't your parents throw big parties all the time?"

"Sure," Fiyero nodded. "But not for holidays. They like that to be just family."

Elphaba smiled. "That's nice. Parties aren't big in our house either. Dinner parties yes, but Papa hates parties as much as I do," she laughed.

That didn't surprise Fiyero in the least.

"Well, I can I make a request? If we can't get out of this party?" he asked as she drained the water from the sink.

"If we can't get out of it?" Elphaba repeated, drying her hands. "Since when do you not like the idea of a party?"

"Since Saturday, when I can think of much more favourable New Year's Eve plans for us. Ones that don't involve a hundred people," he grinned at her.

Elphaba giggled as he pulled her into his arms.

"What's your request?" she asked him.

"Will you wear that polka dot dress? The one you wore to dinner with my parents over the summer?"

"It may be a little cold for that," Elphaba frowned slightly. "Why that one?"

Fiyero looked faintly sheepish. "Because I've been dreaming of taking it off you since I first saw you in it," he confessed.

Elphaba's face cleared in understanding. "I can probably do that," Elphaba agreed as she leaned up to kiss him.

When Fiyero awoke the next morning, the bed was empty. With a frown, he lifted his head and stared blearily around the room, rubbing at his eyes. He found Elphaba sitting across the room at his desk by the window wrapped in his robe. She had one knee drawn up to her chest with a notebook balanced on it as she wrote, the other leg stretched out to rest on the desktop.

"Hey," he mumbled sleepily, drawing her attention. "Didn't we talk about this? No leaving the bed while I'm sleeping."

Elphaba glanced up with a smile. "Sorry, hon. I didn't think you'd appreciate being woken up at five am."

"That depends on how you wake me up," Fiyero said slyly, squinting at the clock. "It's eight. You've been up for three hours? Doing what?"

"Writing," Elphaba replied, her attention already back on the paper.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. _"What_ are you writing?" he asked her.

"About the letters."

Fiyero sighed. _"Fae."_

When she looked over, he looked at her beseechingly, and held out a hand.

Elphaba rolled her eyes but swung her leg off the desk and came back over to the bed, bringing the notepad with her.

"I forgot to pack my glasses," she complained as she lay down beside him, rubbing at her forehead slightly.

Fiyero slid his fingers into her hair to massage her head gently, taking the pad from her with the other hand.

"Hey, this isn't notes," he remarked with a frown, skimming what she'd wrote. "This is actual _writing._ Like a _book."_

Elphaba paused. "Maybe," she finally conceded.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she squirmed a little.

"OK, you were right," she sighed. "It would probably make a good book. And we know… probably as much as we can about what happened to them."

Fiyero grinned. "This is really great, Fae. I'm so glad that you're writing again."

She shrugged lightly. "We'll see what happens. Don't put any pressure on this," she warned him.

"Sure, sure," Fiyero agreed unconvincingly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Can I ask you a question? About fate?"

Fiyero heaved a sigh. "You want to talk about fate at eight in the morning, before I've had breakfast? Or coffee?"

She merely looked at him, and he sighed again, tossing the notepad onto the nightstand.

"Alright, go ahead."

Elphaba sat up against the pillows, running her hand through her hair.

"You believe fate led you to Shiz, right?"

"I believe it led me to _you,"_ Fiyero corrected.

Elphaba couldn't not smile at that, as much as she tried.

"Ok," she said softly. "So, how do the letters fit into this? How do you explain Alivia and Kole not being able to stay together? That's all fate too?"

Fiyero frowned thoughtfully. "I can't explain about Alivia and Kole, but I've actually thought about the other thing before. Remember the Valentine's Day fair?"

Elphaba scowled. "Vividly," she said darkly.

Fiyero chuckled, caressing her arm lightly. "Before _that._ The fortune teller?"

Elphaba scoffed. "Seriously? The woman who was talking about past lives?"

"Maybe not _that_ part," Fiyero allowed. "But she said that there was a lesson in the past we had to learn from, remember?"

The memory sort of came back to Elphaba.

"Right," she said slowly. "So, what's the lesson?"

"I don't know," Fiyero shrugged. "Maybe I'll find out once you write your book."

Elphaba chuckled. "Sure. There's no pressure there at all," she said sarcastically.

Fiyero looked thoughtful. "Didn't the fortune teller also say that we have a long journey together?"

"I don't really remember," Elphaba said. "Pinar destroying three and a half years of my writing efforts is really the standout memory of the day."

"It is not _my_ standout memory of the day," Fiyero replied. "Although still horrendible," he added hastily.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Me being in your bed?" she guessed.

He grinned unapologetically.

"I like having you in my bed," he said, holding her tightly. "Especially when I get to be in the bed _with_ you."

Elphaba kissed him softly.

"I want coffee. Do you want coffee?" he asked her.

"Yes. But I also want to keep writing," Elphaba said, reaching over him for the notepad.

Fiyero sighed. "Alright. _I'll_ go get us coffee, you stay here."

"Good plan," Elphaba said, skimming what she'd written previously.

That morning seemed to unlock something within Elphaba. It was as though the barrier that had been in place every time she tried to write over the past ten months had lifted and the words were bursting out of her almost faster than she could write them down.

Within a week, she'd written nearly fifteen thousand words. And Elphaba was relieved to find that unlike when she had been rooming with Pinar, she was able to write in her dorm room; although Galinda did get cranky if Elphaba kept her up too late with the light. Elphaba was also able to write in Fiyero's suite. He could fall asleep unbothered by any light or noise she was making, but he _was_ a distraction.

"A dashingly handsome and incredibly sexy distraction," Fiyero teased her when she told him as such.

"Hey, what do you want for your birthday?" she asked him on the first of December as they walked into town to have dinner at _The Hare and Turtle._

Fiyero's twenty-fifth birthday was in a week, and Elphaba wasn't sure what to get him.

"You," Fiyero replied immediately, sliding an arm around her waist.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I meant like, something to unwrap."

"I can't unwrap you?" he murmured in her ear, pressing a kiss to the shell of her ear.

Elphaba laughed.

"I'm serious," she protested. "I don't know what to get you. And what do you want to do to festivate?"

Fiyero drew her to a stop, pulling her close. "I am serious, Fae," he insisted. "I don't need anything. I just want to spend the day with you."

Elphaba smiled. "I can probably arrange that," she agreed, leaning up to kiss him.

They did agree to compromise however, with a group dinner at the pub to festivate.

"And cake," Fiyero said decidedly. "There should be cake."

Fiyero's (former) best friend, Palo came out to Shiz from the Vinkus the weekend after Fiyero's birthday, accompanied by his long-time girlfriend, Brynn. They met them at the pub for dinner and drinks, and Elphaba hung back watching as Fiyero and Palo greeted each other like brothers.

"This must be my replacement as your best friend?" Palo guessed, turning to Elphaba.

Elphaba laughed slightly and Fiyero grinned. "This is her. This is Palo and Brynn," he introduced them. "This is Elphaba."

Palo shook her hand with a broad smile. "I've heard so much about you," he told her.

"Me too," Elphaba replied.

"Palo's been dying to meet you for months," Brynn added, as they took a seat in the booth. "I think it was Fiyero's very first letter from Shiz, he mentioned you, and Palo looked to me and was like 'I need to meet this girl.'"

Elphaba blushed.

"Oh, come on," Fiyero protested. "The very first letter? I'm pretty sure that was like the second day I was here."

Palo nodded. "It was. But your letter was _'Dear Palo, I'm here at Shiz. So, I met this girl.'"_

"It was not!" Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"I swear to Oz it was," Palo insisted. "I've still got the letter. I'll show you when you come home next."

Brynn smiled at Elphaba across the table. "You must be busy preparing for final exams for the semester right now," she said.

Elphaba nodded, grateful to change the subject. "Yeah, the exam period starts Monday," she replied. "I don't think it'll be too bad though."

Although studying did cut into her writing time somewhat, between study and her last few _Gazette_ articles until next semester.

Elphaba found that Palo was very much like Fiyero, in terms of sense of humour and interests. Brynn reminded her of Galinda in many ways, although less exuberant. Like everyone else, Palo and Brynn were fascinated by the story of Alivia and Kole and their letters.

"Do you have plans to visit the Vinkus?" Brynn asked her as they were saying goodnight.

"Nothing official," Elphaba replied. "But I'm excited about going when I have the chance. I've just heard so many stories from Yero."

"Well, when you _do_ come out, we'll get together for lunch or something?" Brynn offered.

"That would be great," Elphaba smiled.

"And I'll show you that letter," Palo promised her with a grin, making her laugh.

"Deal."

Palo hugged her unexpectedly. "It was really nice to finally meet Yero's angel," he told her quietly.

Surprise flickered across her face.

"Angel?"

Palo shrugged. "That's from a different letter," he smiled. "Around Valentine's Day, I think. He wrote that you were like a guardian angel sent to save him from himself. That's when I knew he was a goner," he chuckled.

Elphaba blushed. "Was this before or after Valentine's Day?" she asked him.

"After, I think."

Fiyero slid his arm around her waist and Elphaba looked over at him with wide eyes, knowing he'd overheard everything. Or at least enough.

They bid Palo and Brynn goodbye and headed back to school. They weren't far along the path when she turned to Fiyero and kissed him fiercely.

"I love you."

Fiyero ran a thumb along her cheekbone lightly. "I love you too, angel."

Her eyes filled with tears. "You really mean that, don't you?"

His brow furrowed. "Of course I do."

"You'd never said anything before-"

Fiyero smiled sheepishly. "It was just something I kept thinking about. I never really meant to tell you that," he admitted. "And then it slipped out. You don't seem to mind," he added softly, brushing away a tear that ran down her cheek.

Elphaba shook her head. "I don't mind," she whispered.

Fiyero drew her to him, kissing her deeply as a light snow began to fall around them.

Galinda was more preoccupied with planning her New Year's party than her finals. They were all attending, and the plan was to arrive two days after Lurlinemas and visit Malle Stengel the day after that to see Kole's art work.

Elphaba and Galinda had discussed that at length. Elphaba thought they should wait and visit after New Year's, but Galinda… well, Galinda was impatient.

"Elphie, you're lucky I'm waiting until you all arrive to go see her," Galinda said sternly. "Besides, I already wrote to Mrs Stengel, telling her to expect us on the twenty-eighth."

Elphaba sighed. "What did you tell her?"

"Just that Nessa was majoring in Art History and was a fan of Kole Ingram's work. You're all coming to visit me, so I thought we could visit while you're here. I figured we can explain all the letters once we're with her. _If_ she's there," she amended. "A lot of these rich people go away for the holidays, but the house is still open to visitors."

Elphaba frowned. "That makes sense. Is there any news from Link?"

"Not yet," Galinda replied.

They didn't hear any news from Link on the search until the very end of the semester. On Wednesday afternoon, Elphaba was organising what she needed to pack for home when Galinda burst into the room, waving the letter around.

"He found something!" she exclaimed. "Look, look at this. Lula Gumme married Gyll Blithe in 1873!"

Elphaba took the paper from her, looking at the wedding announcement from _The Oracle_ that Link had included.

"Is that 'Blithe' as in the ale company, do you think?" she wondered.

Galinda stared at her blankly. "Elphie, how in Oz's name would _I_ know?" she asked.

That was a fair question, so Elphaba resolved to ask Fiyero when she saw him later that night for dinner.

She had to laugh though, when he gave her the same blank look that Galinda had given him.

"I just drink it, I don't know the history behind it," he said. "I guess it's possible, but I don't know. You're not going to rush off to research the history of the ale company now, are you?" he asked her warily.

She rolled her eyes. "No. It's not important whether or not it's related to Lula. I was just curious."

It always amazed Elphaba to see how the campus emptied during finals time, as students fled for home at the earliest opportunity.

Galinda left for home on Thursday morning, as she had no classes after Wednesday afternoons. Nessa's last class was Friday morning for Art History, and Boq had his Microeconomics final on Friday afternoon. Fiyero was in that same class, and then he and Elphaba had their final exam for their Torts class at four o'clock.

"Having class on Friday afternoon before break is bad enough," he complained to Elphaba as they studied in his suite on Thursday evening. "But having _two_ finals on the same day? That sucks!"

"Uh huh," Elphaba murmured, her head buried in her Torts notes. "Ssshh. Studying."

Fiyero heaved a sigh and returned to his own notes.

"I hate Torts," he muttered.

" _Shhh!"_

"They can't hear me, Fae," Fiyero teased her and she lifted her head to glare at him.

"I _will_ go study in my own room," she warned him.

Fiyero mimed zipping his lips and looked at her innocently until she lowered her head once more.

Fiyero wasn't leaving for home until Saturday morning, because travelling through the mountains always slowed the journey down, especially when there was snow, and it wasn't worth spending all night in a carriage.

Elphaba, Nessa, Xia and Boq were also leaving for Munchkinland on Saturday morning, although earlier than Fiyero planned to leave. Elphaba spent their last night in Fiyero's room, gently waking him at seven o'clock the next morning.

"Yero?" she said softly, rubbing his arm that was wrapped over her stomach as they slept. "Yero, wake up."

"Early," he grumbled, pulling her closer.

"You can go back to sleep, I'm just following the rules," she told him, kissing his stubbly cheek.

Fiyero opened his eyes with a sigh and then sat up. "No, I'm up, I'm up. I want to see you off," he said sleepily.

They had a quick breakfast and packed the few last-minute items. The group had agreed to exchange Lurlinemas gifts when they got to Galinda's, but Elphaba had a little something for Fiyero's parents that she was sending home with him.

"Don't forget them," she warned Fiyero for the millionth time.

"Fae, they're already in my suitcase," he reminded her as they headed out to meet the carriage.

Fiyero had also gotten something for Frex and Annalie and Tomaz. He'd found Tomaz the easiest to shop for.

Fiyero said his goodbyes to Nessa, Xia and Boq before he gently pulled Elphaba aside, wrapping her into his arms tightly.

"I'm going to miss you," he told her softly.

"It's a _week,"_ Elphaba stressed gently. "I'll see you in a week."

She smiled as he kissed her deeply.

"But I'll miss you too," she added breathlessly as he broke away.

Fiyero grinned too. "Just checking," he said teasingly.

She kissed him again, leaning into his embrace, until Nessa called out the carriage window.

"Elphaba, can you hurry up? I want to get home sometime today!"

Elphaba pulled away from Fiyero reluctantly.

"I'm coming," she called back to Nessa.

"I'll see you in a week, angel," Fiyero said softly, helping her into the carriage.

"One week," Elphaba agreed. "I love you."

"Love you too," he said.

He waited until the carriage was out of sight before he turned back to get ready for his own trip home. Fiyero was looking forward to getting home and seeing his parents, but he was well aware that it was going to be a very long week.

 **AN. Next chapter- Thropp family Lurlinemas.**


	34. Chapter 34

**AN. Shout out to those who picked up on my Gyll Blithe nod in the last chapter! :D It made me very happy that people noticed.**

 **Chapter 34**

"Good morning," Elphaba greeted Nikita as she entered the kitchen the morning after they arrived home.

"Good morning," Nikita replied warmly. "Are you hungry?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, I'm ok. I'll just have some coffee. Where is everyone?"

"Xia's left for her vacation, Nessarose and Tomaz have gone into town to shop for gifts, your father's in his study and I think Annalie is upstairs," Nikita recited, handing her a coffee mug.

Elphaba thanked her and went off in search of Annalie. She was in the guest room, making the bed up in preparation for her parents' arrival that afternoon from the Glikkus.

"Morning."

"Hi, sweetheart," Annalie smiled at her. "You're up late."

Elphaba shrugged, curling up in the armchair in the corner, sipping at her coffee. "I didn't go to bed until midnight."

"Reading?"

"Uh, writing actually."

Annalie turned to her in surprise. "Writing? As in-?"

Elphaba smiled, nodding faintly. "I've been working on something."

Annalie left the sheets and gave Elphaba her full attention. "You're writing something? Fabala, that's wonderful! Since when?"

"The last few weeks. Almost a month, I guess," Elphaba thought back. "Just after the dance, so I guess it's almost a month."

"Can I ask what it's about? Or are you still working it out?"

"Actually, it's the story of the letters. The whole Alivia and Kole saga," Elphaba explained.

Annalie smiled. "And how is it going?"

Elphaba frowned slightly. "It's flowing really well," she said slowly. "And it feels _really_ good to be writing again," she admitted. "But I'm still figuring out the story. Trying to figure out how much artistic license I can take. Do I start the story from the beginning we have, or do I go back further?"

Annalie frowned too, sitting on the bed. "What do you mean?"

"We don't know how Alivia and Kole met, or fell in love," Elphaba explained. "Can I make that up? Because I don't think we'll ever find that out."

She sighed, taking another drink of her coffee. "Kole still has living children, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Alivia… as far as we know, her adoption of Lula is the only child she ever had, and we're not sure if Lula is still alive or had children… it's not as simple as writing fiction and just making characters up."

"Could you change the names?" Annalie suggested. "So, it's less like you're writing about them, and more that you're simply inspired by their story?"

"It is something I'm considering," Elphaba agreed. "I'm just trying to get it down on the page first. Then I'll see what happens. I keep thinking, it may not matter if I'm writing about them, right? It's not like I'm intending to have the book published or anything."

"True," Annalie agreed. "Well, if you want me to read anything, I'm happy to give notes."

Elphaba smiled. "Thanks. Do you want some help?" she offered.

Annalie laughed and handed her a sheet. "I won't turn that down."

As they made the bed together, Annalie couldn't resist asking about Fiyero. Their conversations when the girls had arrived home the afternoon before had mostly been around classes, finals and the dance.

"How are things with Fiyero?"

"Great," Elphaba replied easily, slipping pillows into the pillowcases. "Everything is great."

Annalie waited, but Elphaba didn't offer up any other information.

"Just great?"

Elphaba looked at her knowingly. "Is 'great' bad?"

"No, great is wonderful," Annalie reassured her.

They made the bed together in silence and then Elphaba returned to the armchair, picking up her coffee cup once more while Annalie fluffed the pillows and made sure the room was perfect for her parents' arrival.

"We're sleeping together," Elphaba told her quietly, making Annalie look at her quickly.

"What?"

"We're sleeping together. We're being safe, and we didn't rush into it, and I'm really happy, Anna."

Annalie sat down on the end of the bed, letting out a breath.

"Ok," she said simply.

Elphaba arched an eyebrow. "Ok?"

"Ok," Annalie nodded.

Annalie paused uncertainly. "Can I ask when?"

Elphaba coloured faintly. "Since the dance," she admitted.

"And you're happy?"

"Really happy," Elphaba said hoarsely, even as tears sprung to her eyes.

Annalie smiled and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad, sweetheart."

"Don't tell Papa," Elphaba added unnecessarily, trying to keep her voice steady.

Annalie laughed, mostly at the mental image of Frex's reaction to that particular news. "I'll just tell him that you're happy," she reassured her.

The arrival of Annalie's parents, Lilou and Pim, was more than enough distraction for the family. Elphaba and Nessa hadn't seen them since they'd started at Shiz, and although they'd written to them throughout the year, there was still so much to tell them.

Annalie's mother was particularly interested in Fiyero, of course.

"He's very handsome," she noted approvingly to Elphaba, who laughed.

"Trust me, he knows that, Grandma," she reassured her.

Lilou chuckled. "He was a beautiful baby too, I remember very clearly when he was born. But he's a good boy?"

"Well, he's twenty-five," Elphaba pointed out. "He's not exactly a boy. But yes."

Lilou sipped her tea, shaking her head. "Faune Diffler in my book club, she reads the stories in those dreadful magazines. Every time there was a story claiming that you had broken up, she'd suddenly appear on our doorstep with a basket of baked goods, hoping for confirmation! I couldn't believe that she believed them. 'I knew a boy with that reputation was incapable of change' she said. 'I knew he was no good.'

But I told her, I said 'Faune, anyone my granddaughter chooses to date is a good person, because she is a tremendous judge of character and if anyone is worthy of her, it would be a prince.' And then he released that statement in the newspaper? Oh my goodness, Faune had to eat her words that day! She choked on them like we have to choke down her dreadfully dry lemon squares at book club!"

Elphaba's eyes were wide as she shot a glance at Nessa, who was choking back giggles.

"Thanks, Grandma," she said weakly, looking to Annalie for help and at same time making a mental note to write this story down to show Fiyero as soon as possible.

"Will we ever get to meet him?" Pim asked her. "Prince or no prince, we want to make sure he is good enough."

"You'll meet him eventually," Elphaba promised, beginning to feel rather overwhelmed by all the questions.

"Mom, Dad, leave Fabala alone," Annalie interjected. "Frex and I have met Fiyero, and he's wonderful."

Despite the letter he'd written her, Elphaba doubted that was how Frex would describe Fiyero, but she simply smiled and nodded.

As good as it was to be home and see her family, Elphaba was looking forward to heading to Galinda's. Not just to see Fiyero, but because the house was beginning to feel a little crowded. Although seeing Fiyero was a big part of it.

It was a relief to escape the house that week for lunch with Frex. As they ate, Elphaba told her father about her new writing project. Like Annalie, he was pleased to hear that she was writing again; although he had no more answers than Annalie did about Elphaba's questions about the story.

"Maybe if you write what you know, you'll know if you need to go back further?" he suggested.

"I think that's my plan," Elphaba agreed.

Frex's face darkened slightly. "And the press?"

Elphaba shrugged. She, Frex and Annalie had had a long conversation the night she'd come home about the deluge she and Fiyero had suffered from the press, Fiyero's statement and Frex's letter; but they hadn't discussed any of the recent stories that had been published.

"There's nothing too horrendible. There's only been a few stories in the last few weeks. I think everyone's really taking Fiyero's statement seriously."

"Good," Frex said shortly.

Then he pushed his plate away with a sigh.

"Have you thought anymore about-"

"Papa, I don't want to see Dr Jinn," Elphaba cut him off tiredly.

She'd told Frex and Annalie that she had seen the counsellor at Shiz and her impressions of the woman. They had suggested she see Dr Jinn while she was hope, but Elphaba had refused. She'd thought that would be the end of it, but clearly not.

"I read a few books and I feel ok with everything," she reassured him.

"Sweetheart, maybe there are some things you can't just learn from books," Frex said.

Elphaba looked at him blankly. "Papa, I don't think that's true," she replied.

Frex smiled despite himself. "I already spoke to Dr Jinn and he's willing to fit you in while you're home."

"I'm really ok, Papa," she sighed.

"Anna and I would just feel better if Dr Jinn checked in on you," Frex said. "He is very familiar with your history and our situation."

Elphaba looked at him warily. "So, you don't believe me when I say I'm ok, but you'll believe Dr Jinn if _he_ says I'm ok?"

Frex hesitated. "Yes."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but ultimately relented.

"Fine. I'll go," she grumbled.

Frex smiled. "Thank you, darling."

She saw Dr Jinn on Lurlinemas Eve, even if only to put her parents' minds at ease. She told him everything that had happened since the fall and the articles, and they spent a lot of time talking about her relationship with Fiyero. Finally, Dr Jinn looked up at her with a smile.

"Elphaba, I think overall, you're doing excellent," he told her. "You seem happy, settled and it sounds like you have a solid network of friends and family around you."

"Great," Elphaba replied. "Can I get that in writing for my parents, please?"

Dr Jinn laughed and agreed.

Lurlinemas was fun that year, despite the fact Elphaba wished more than anything that Fiyero was here with her. Elphaba and Nessa had gotten copies of the photographs from the dance framed for their parents- one of Elphaba and Nessa together, one of the six of them, and one of Elphaba and Fiyero.

They'd also given a copy of the photo of the sisters to Lilou and Pim, although Lilou cornered Elphaba after they'd finished opening presents until Elphaba promised to send her a copy of the photo of her with Fiyero as well.

Two days after Lurlinemas, Elphaba and Nessa prepared to leave for the Upland's mansion, and from there back to Shiz.

"Hey, Nessa? Is there room in your bags for Galinda's gift?" Elphaba called out, hurrying downstairs. "It won't fit in mine."

"It would if you packed less books," Frex said dryly as she passed him.

Elphaba turned on the spot to face him but didn't stop walking. "I _need_ all the books, Papa."

She swore that she saw Frex roll his eyes as she turned and hurried off in search of her sister.

Half an hour later, they were ready to leave and bidding their family goodbye.

"Let us know when you're back at school," Annalie said, hugging them goodbye. "Have a wonderful time with Galinda. Give her and Fiyero our best."

"We will," Nessa promised. "We'll see you for spring vacation."

"Take care of yourselves," Frex told both girls sternly.

"We will, Papa," Elphaba promised him.

Boq rode with them to Galinda's home and Elphaba spent most of the trip either daydreaming or reading one of the new books she'd gotten for Lurlinemas. Nessa drew in her breath sharply as the carriage finally turned in at the gate of the Upland's mansion.

" _Wow,"_ she breathed in. "It's so _beautiful."_

"It is," Elphaba agreed, watching as the house came into view. "How big do you think it is?"

"Probably not as big as Fiyero's castle," Boq pointed out.

Elphaba winced at the thought. "Castles," she corrected him, a little glumly. "There's multiple."

Nessa smiled at her sympathetically, squeezing her hand.

They were greeted at the door by a butler and ushered into the foyer. They weren't waiting long before Galinda dashed into the room, beaming brightly.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, hugging them all. "I'm so thrillified that you're all here!"

"Hi Galinda," Elphaba greeted her, hugging her back.

"Galinda, your house is gorgeous," Nessa said sincerely.

"Thanks, Nessa!"

Galinda turned to them all, clasping her hands together.

"Ok, here's the plan. Link's already here, Fiyero should be arriving by dinner time," she told them, looking pointedly at Elphaba.

"I'll show you all to your rooms, so you can freshen up, and then I'll introduce you all to Momsie and Popsicle. They're _dying_ to meet you all. After dinner, the six of us can exchange gifts and go over final plans to visit Mrs Stengel tomorrow. Does that sound okay?"

"Sounds great," Elphaba answered for them all.

Galinda had thoughtfully organised a ground floor room for Nessa, and a maid to help her with anything in light of Xia's absence. Then she led Elphaba and Boq upstairs. Boq was shown to a room next to Link's, while Galinda led Elphaba down the hall.

"I've put you and Fiyero in the same room," she told Elphaba quietly as they walked. "I figured that was possibly best, given… well, _you know._ "

Elphaba rolled her eyes slightly but certainly wasn't going to argue.

"Thank you, Galinda," she said instead.

Galinda beamed, opening the door to a large and well-lit room decorated in shades of pale blue.

"Isn't it? It's so nice to be home."

Galinda rounded them all up again and gave them a quick tour before she led them into a sitting room where Link was sitting with her parents.

"Here we are!" she declared excitedly. "Momsie, Popsicle, this is Elphaba, Nessarose and Boq. These are my parents, Gilderoy and Lillianah Upland. And you all know Link," she giggled.

Galinda's mother was an older image of her daughter, although decidedly calmer.

"It's so nice to finally meet you all," she said warmly.

"Thank you for having us to stay," Nessarose thanked her politely.

"Not at all," Mr Upland said in a booming voice, smiling jovially. "We've heard so much about you all from our Gally-Lou, we're happy to have you. Especially around the holidays!"

Elphaba _really_ wished Fiyero was there so she could see his reaction to 'Gally-Lou". Galinda blushed, while Elphaba and Nessa exchanged a look. Pushing aside the temptation to laugh, Elphaba turned to Link.

"How was your Lurlinemas, Link?" she asked him.

"It was great, thanks," he replied. "Yours?"

They all chatted animatedly with Galinda's parents about Lurlinemas and the last semester. But for Elphaba, the time passed agonisingly slow.

" _Elphie,"_ Galinda said, clearly not for the first time.

Elphaba jumped slightly and turned to her, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, Glin. What was the question?"

Nessa was fighting back laughter, knowing all too well what had distracted her sister.

"We're talking about final results," she said. "Galinda asked how you went."

The results of their finals had arrived the day before Lurlinemas Eve.

"Oh," Elphaba shrugged. "Fine. I'm happy enough. I did pretty well in Con Law."

She'd gotten full marks in her Constitutional Law class, actually. Her lowest mark had been in Property Law, but she'd still gotten eighty-seven per cent.

Nessarose knew this perfectly well and rolled her eyes. "How are the party preparations coming, Galinda?"

Galinda's face lit up. "Wonderfully! It's going to be such a fun night. And I got a new dress for the night, this _beautiful…_ well, I'll show you later," she promised, shooting a glance at Link and giggling.

"Oh, I got a new dress too!" Nessa replied.

"You did? That's great! Elphie?"

"Nope," Elphaba answered distractedly, her leg jiggling restlessly.

Nessa smirked and leaned over to Galinda. "Fiyero had a particular request for her to wear something she already owns," she whispered.

Galinda giggled. "Which one?"

"Her polka dot dress from over the summer," Nessa murmured.

Galinda nodded knowingly, stifling more giggles.

Elphaba was oblivious to this conversation, which made the girls laugh even harder.

Dinner was due to be served at half-past six, and it was twenty minutes past six when the butler entered the room and announced the arrival of a familiar face.

"Fiyero!" Galinda exclaimed brightly.

"Hi, all," Fiyero said cheerfully, his eyes immediately seeking out Elphaba's face.

Galinda hastily introduced him to her parents before ushering him to a spot next to Elphaba on the couch.

Fiyero reached for Elphaba's hand as he sat down, shooting her that crooked grin that always made her heart flip.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replied softly. "When did you get here?"

"About five minutes ago. You?"

"A few hours," Elphaba answered, feeling a load of tension ease from her body as he rested their entwined fingers on her knee.

Fiyero nodded and then caught Galinda, Nessa and Boq watching them amusedly.

"What have I missed?" he asked them.

"Nothing," Nessa and Galinda replied in unison.

"Galinda's parents call her ' _Gally-Lou'_ ," Elphaba murmured to him, watching his face light up in delight as Galinda glared at her.

After dinner, Mr and Mrs Upland excused themselves and Galinda ushered her friends into a parlour, where a beautifully decorated Lurlinemas tree was in a corner.

"Ok, everyone needs to go get your gifts and then put them under the tree," she ordered. "I'll ring for cocoa for us all."

"What gifts?" Fiyero asked innocently, then quickly backed down under Galinda's furious glare.

"I'm kidding!" he reassured her.

Galinda regarded him sternly for a moment and then sniffed. "You have _five_ minutes," she said.

"I _will_ be counting," and then she flounced from the room.

Fiyero made a face at Elphaba, who laughed and grabbed his hand, leading him from the room as they all went their separate ways. She led him upstairs and into the blue guest room silently. As soon as they were inside the room she turned to him, reaching out for his other hand and drawing them both around to rest on her hips. Fiyero needed no invitation to kiss her deeply, pressing her against the wall eagerly.

"I missed you," Elphaba murmured.

" _It was only a week,"_ Fiyero teased her.

"Shut up."

Fiyero grinned, kissing her again. "What can we do in five minutes?" he asked her.

Elphaba laughed and pushed him away gently. "No," she said firmly. "Because if you think Galinda won't come looking for us-"

Fiyero sighed. "Fine," he grumbled.

Elphaba dug her gifts for the others from her bag. "Is mine the big one?" Fiyero asked in interest, collecting his own gifts.

She rolled her eyes. "Tomaz asked the same question on Lurlinemas morning," she said. "He's ten. What's your excuse?"

Fiyero looked at her innocently. "Do I need an excuse? Do you not like presents?"

She chuckled. "Come on, let's go."

Fiyero nodded. "Ok. Oh, wait."

He pulled two boxes out of the pile in his arms and tossed them on the bed.

"They're something else," he explained to Elphaba's quizzical glance. "Let's go."

They returned to the others and arranged the presents under the tree. Galinda was back to bouncing.

"Ok!" she sang out when they were all assembled and with hot chocolate. "Who's going to be in charge of handing out gifts? Fiyero?"

Fiyero looked startled. "Why me?"

"Because it's practice for when you and Elphie have kids," Galinda replied as though it were obvious, taking a seat next to Link.

Elphaba groaned and placed a hand over her eyes while Fiyero frowned, trying to follow Galinda's logic.

Evidently it made sense to him in some way, because he sighed and moved down to the floor near the tree, reaching for the first gift.

"Alright. Here, Boq," he said, tossing the parcel to the Munchkin so fast it almost hit him in the head.

" _Hey!"_ the three girls cried in unison.

"Yero, some of these may be breakable," Galinda scolded him.

"And even if they're not, people's heads are," Elphaba added. "Don't _throw_ them."

The gifts from Galinda were easily identifiable, wrapped in pink, glittery paper. As were the gifts from Fiyero, because they were not wrapped very well.

As Elphaba gathered the discarded wrapping paper on the floor after all the gifts had been opened, Galinda suggested they do this every year.

"Is that an excuse for you to have a New Year's Eve party every year?" Elphaba asked warily.

"I don't need an excuse, Elphie," Galinda reassured her. "Now, tomorrow."

"Did you ever hear back from Malle Stengel if she'll be home?" Nessa asked her.

"No," Galinda admitted. "But the housekeeper sent a note confirming the house is open for visitors. We should arrive around noon, and the Stengel home is twenty minutes away by carriage, according to Popsicle. So, you can all do whatever you want in the morning and we'll meet in the foyer at eleven-thirty?"

"Sounds good," Boq agreed. "Is there anything you suggest for the morning? Sights or something?"

"The gardens are nice for walking, if you don't mind the snow," Galinda suggested. "There's a gazebo that's rather pretty, and the old carriage house or the stables if anyone wants to ride. The pond's frozen over, but it's _much_ prettier in summer. If you'd rather stay inside, the conservatory is a good spot."

Elphaba looked over to Fiyero. "What do you think?"

"I have some thoughts," he replied thoughtfully.

He winked at Elphaba when the others weren't looking, and she rolled her eyes, knowing perfectly well what he was thinking.

They sat around sharing stories about their holidays so far. Nessa, giggling madly, beseeched Elphaba to tell the story about Annalie's mother and her book club friend.

"The lemon squares!" she gasped through her laughter.

Elphaba chuckled and recounted the conversation with Lilou. Fiyero looked thrillified with the tale.

"I cannot _wait_ to meet your grandmother," he told Elphaba. "And Faune. Can we visit the Glikkus? Can I _go_ to a book club meeting? Because that would be stupendous."

Elphaba laughed. "We'll talk," she told him.

A few hours later, Elphaba and Fiyero finally bid the others goodnight and headed upstairs.

"I feel oddly calm about tomorrow," Elphaba commented as they climbed the stairs.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, Malle Stengel may not even be home. She could be away for the holidays, visiting one of her children or something. We don't know where they live or if they have their own families. And we still have no idea if there's even any connection between Mrs Stengel and Alivia. I just want to see Kole's art."

"You think there's no connection to Alivia?"

"I don't know," Elphaba said honestly.

They entered the blue room and she placed her gifts on the dresser and then collapsed onto the bed tiredly, frowning up at the ceiling.

"I just thinking seeing the art will make it more real. I know we've got the letters and whatever other records we've found, but it still feels like something is missing."

Fiyero nodded. "Sure," he said and then handed her the wrapped gifts he'd tossed on the bed earlier.

"Here."

Elphaba sat up in bewilderment. "What are these?"

He pointed to one that was wrapped more nicely than the other. "That's for you from my parents. The other one is from me."

"Yero, you already gave me the book-"

"That was just something for you to open," Fiyero brushed her off. "I didn't think you'd want to open this one in front of people."

Warily, Elphaba chose to open the gift from Ibrahim and Kasmira first. She put aside the golden yellow envelope that bore her name, and carefully unwrapped the small box.

Inside was a delicate silver enamel charm, with a different flower engraved on each side.

"It's for the charm bracelet I got you for your birthday," Fiyero explained. "The one with the cornflower on it is for the floral emblem of Munchkinland. The rose on the other side is the floral emblem of the Vinkus."

Elphaba was speechless and Fiyero's voice dropped a little.

"Mom explained it in the card," he said, nodding towards the envelope. "But I think the idea was that she wants- _we_ want," he corrected himself. "We want the Vinkus to be your home as much as Munchkinland is."

Elphaba's vision was blurred with tears as she tore open the envelope and read the card inside. In addition to the king and queen's Lurlinemas greetings to her and the explanation of the sentiment behind the gift, there was a formal invitation for her to visit the Vinkus during the summer vacation.

"The gift wasn't supposed to make you cry, angel," Fiyero said gently, wiping away a stray tear from her cheek.

Elphaba laughed tearily. "I just- I love it," she said softly.

He handed her the other gift.

"Quick, open this one."

Elphaba wiped her eyes and obeyed, laughing again when she saw what was inside, even as her cheeks warmed.

"Is this a gift for me or for you?" she asked him, pulling out the silk and lace nightgown that was a rich deep purple.

Fiyero grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Come on, Fae. Can't it be both?" he asked innocently, pulling her towards him.

Elphaba's sceptical snort was quickly drowned out as he lowered his head to hers.

 **AN. Fun Fact- Faune and her lemon squares was something that only got added during editing. I still don't know from where.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Elphaba and Fiyero spent the following morning in bed, Fiyero softly telling her about all the things in the Vinkus he wanted to show her when she visited in the coming summer.

Elphaba was reasonably sure she could listen to him talk about his homeland for hours, as she watched his eyes twinkle and the laughter in his voice as he recounted story after story associated with childhood memories of the places he wanted her to see, the things they would do, the people he wanted to meet her.

"Don't you mean the people you want me to meet?" she asked him.

Fiyero scoffed. "No, it's definishly the people I want to meet you. I don't care about _them,_ I just want to show you off."

Then he snapped his fingers. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! Palo and Brynn got engaged on Lurlinemas Eve."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "Seriously? That's great!"

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. They've already set the date- July sometime, I think."

He paused for a moment. "Palo asked me to be his best man when I saw him the other day."

Elphaba lifted her head slightly. "Really?"

He nodded. "I said I'd do it. Although I think he regretted asking me once I immediately thought of all these stories I can mention in my speech," he grinned.

Elphaba laughed.

At eleven-thirty, they gathered downstairs to leave for the Stengel home. Elphaba was beginning to feel a little apprehensive and had made sure to dress a little more formal than she normally would have, on the off chance the Stengels were home.

"Momsie says the Stengel home is beautiful," Galinda told them as they climbed into the carriage. "Rosewood, it's called."

"Are there actually roses around?" Nessa asked her.

"I hope so. I do like when names make sense," Galinda said, a wistful note in her voice.

When the carriage turned into the gate at Rosewood, they all peered out the windows looking for a sign of the house. The drive was long and wooded, and for a while all they could see of the house was a glimpse of red brick.

"Oh," Galinda said a little disappointedly when the house came into view. "I thought it would be bigger. _My_ house is much bigger. How can this place house a whole art collection?!"

"I think it's lovely," Nessa argued.

"It's bigger than _our_ house," Elphaba added.

"And mine," Boq chimed in.

"Mine too," Link agreed.

Everyone's gaze drifted to Fiyero.

"Guys, I live in a _castle,"_ he pointed out.

Elphaba winced. "Don't remind me."

Fiyero grinned and squeezed her knee gently.

They were greeted at the door by the butler, who let them in immediately when Galinda explained they were here to see the art collection.

"I'll show you to the gallery, miss," he said, and began to walk away.

"Is Mrs Stengel at home?" Elphaba asked him, unable to help herself.

The butler looked to her without answering.

"I'm a reporter with the _Shiz University Gazette_ ," Elphaba explained, thinking quickly. "I'd love to interview her about her collection."

"Mrs Stengel is at home, but is currently visiting with her family, miss," the butler replied.

He showed them to the gallery, bowed and left them alone.

Nessa immediately wheeled herself closer to the nearest painting on the wall.

"It's Kole's!" she announced to the others. "See the signature?"

Fiyero squinted at the painting. "Sure," he said, shooting Elphaba a sceptical glance.

She grinned.

"Look at the brushwork! And the composition of light!" Nessa said excitedly.

Elphaba looked up at the painting.

"It looks nice," she volunteered.

Nessa sighed at her sister in despair, and Elphaba merely laughed.

They all went in different directions, examining different paintings around the room. Even those who knew nothing about art could pick up some similarities in style.

"I mean, I can at least tell they were painted by the same person," Fiyero muttered to Elphaba, who giggled.

"Then you're doing better than me," she replied.

Across the room, Nessa was lecturing Boq on the characteristics of impressionist art. Boq was either genuinely interested or just doing very well at pretending to be interested. The fact she couldn't tell which rather impressed Elphaba.

It was a painting smaller than all the others and tucked away in a corner that caught Elphaba's attention. She stood there frowning at it for so long that Fiyero wandered over to see what she was looking at.

"Is it just me?" she asked him quietly. "Or does this one not look like all the others so much?"

Fiyero studied it. It was a painting of a couple in silhouette standing close together, looking into each other's eyes.

"I think you're better off asking Nessa," he finally replied. "It all looks the same to me. Why? What do you see?"

Elphaba hesitated. "Do you notice anything? Around the couple?"

Fiyero looked again, tilting his head thoughtfully. He hadn't paid any attention to the background of the painting before, but now he was looking at it, there _was_ something. It was almost like a ring of light, but in shades of pink, blue and purple. It was rather reminiscent of-

"A bubble."

He turned to Elphaba, whose eyes were fixed on the painting, her arms folded tightly over her stomach.

"That's what I thought," she said quietly.

Fiyero wrapped his arms around her from behind, and she grasped his hands tightly.

"There's a break in the bubble," Fiyero noted, pointing to the spot.

"It popped," she whispered.

Fiyero kissed her cheek softly as she drew a shaky breath.

He wasn't sure how long they stood before the painting, staring at it in silence. There came the distant sound of the door opening at the opposite end of the room and he turned his head without even really thinking about it.

He straightened as a woman entered.

"Fae," he breathed, nudging her gently.

Elphaba looked at him startled, and then looked around to where he was gesturing. She drew in her breath just as Galinda turned and beckoned to them furiously.

Elphaba and Fiyero approached the others as the elderly woman was shaking hands with Nessa.

"Elphie!"

Elphaba's heart was in her throat and she was clutching Fiyero's hand tightly.

"Elphaba Thropp, Fiyero Tiggular, this is Mrs Stengel," Galinda introduced them, her voice trembling slightly.

The familiar look of surprise flickered over the elderly woman's face as she saw Elphaba, but she continued to smile politely.

"It's nice to meet you all," Mrs Stengel said politely. "We don't get many young people wishing to see the gallery, so I hope you can forgive me for being curious. I hear one of you is an Art History major at Shiz?"

"I am," Nessa spoke up.

Mrs Stengel smiled at her. "I must confess, I was surprised to hear that Mr Ingram's work is seen as worth studying by Shiz. His is certainly not the name most would suggest first when discussing great Ozian artists."

Nessa faltered there and somehow, they all looked to Elphaba.

"Mrs Stengel," she said quietly. "Would you have time to hear a story?"

Mrs Stengel looked a little surprised but smiled warmly. "I think so, dear."

"But first," Elphaba continued, fighting to keep her voice steady. "Does the name 'Alivia Benitz' mean anything to you?"

Mrs Stengel was still for a long moment, while the very room seemed to hold its breath.

"Perhaps we should take a seat," she said finally. "I feel this may be a longer story than I first anticipated."

She led them from the gallery and into a parlour, where she offered them tea and cake.

"You have to tell her," Galinda hissed to Elphaba, while she was occupied. "The story."

"Why me?" Elphaba whispered back. "It's your room where the letters were found. _You_ were the one who kept nagging me to find out what happened."

"It's _our_ room, at least _technically,"_ Galinda added, a smirk teasing at her lips as she glanced to Fiyero briefly. "But _you're_ the writer."

" _Writer,_ Galinda. I-"

Elphaba cut herself off as Mrs Stengel turned and faced them all expectantly.

Elphaba suppressed a sigh and straightened her shoulders.

"Mrs Stengel, Galinda and I are roommates at Shiz University," she began.

Elphaba had lost count of how many times she'd told the story of the letters by now, and the story got longer every single time.

First when it was just the four of them- her, Galinda, Nessa and Fiyero. Then Link's involvement, and then Boq. Nine months of the slow unravelling of Kole and Alivia's story, almost the length of her and Fiyero's relationship, and all the pieces they still didn't know. Would never know.

Finally, Elphaba came to the end of the tale and fell silent. Mrs Stengel had said nothing the whole time she'd talked, simply sipped her tea and nodded.

"We were wondering," Nessa said as Elphaba's voice lapsed. "How you came to be in possession of Kole Ingram's work, Mrs Stengel?"

"And how _you_ know of Alivia," Galinda added eagerly.

Mrs Stengel sipped at her tea, and slowly placed her teacup on the tray.

"Alivia Benitz, or rather Alivia Gumme, was my grandmother's best friend," she told them.

"Your grandmother was Wynter Ames? Er, Wynter Tarrow?" Link corrected himself.

Mrs Stengel nodded. "Yes. She and my grandfather died when my mother was eleven years old, and she was adopted by Alivia and Blaze."

"You're Lula's daughter," Elphaba said faintly, her mind whirling with a thousand questions.

Mrs Stengel inclined her head. "Her eldest, yes."

"Is your mother living?" Nessa asked her hesitantly.

"My mother died three years ago, I'm afraid," Mrs Stengel replied. "My father passed four years before she did."

"And Alivia?" Elphaba asked hoarsely. "How- how old were you when she died? Did you know her?"

"Alivia died when I was ten years old. I remember her very well. She was the most wonderful grandmother to me that I could have wished for. I miss her dearly."

"How did she die?"

"Cancer. It was very quick."

Nessa glanced to Elphaba briefly.

"And the art collection?" she asked.

"Alivia and Blaze started the collection," Mrs Stengel confirmed.

"Did Kole know she was buying his art?" Fiyero asked. "Did she ever speak of him?"

Mrs Stengel smiled faintly at him. "She would hardly speak about such things to a young girl such as I was at the time, Your Highness."

She rose to her feet and pulled the rope that hung on the wall. When a footman appeared, she said something to him quietly. The footman bowed and left, while Mrs Stengel returned to her seat.

"Miss Nessarose," she said suddenly. "Would you tell me more about your studies?"

Looking somewhat startled, Nessa readily obeyed, describing all her classes she'd taken as part of her major so far and what she hoped to do after school.

Mrs Stengel listened attentively, but Nessa cut herself off as the door opened and a man entered. He was clearly older than all of them, but not old. If Elphaba had to hazard a guess, she would say he was in his late twenties.

He looked a little surprised to see the room full of people and he stared at Elphaba for a moment with wide eyes before Mrs Stengel gently cleared her throat. Next to Elphaba, Fiyero's jaw set and his grip on her tightened. Elphaba brushed her thumb reassuringly over his hand.

"Blaze, dear, come here," Mrs Stengel said to the man.

Elphaba's heart jumped into her throat and she sensed more than saw the others react.

"This is my son, Blaze," Mrs Stengel introduced them all.

She smiled warmly. "I'm afraid despite everything, I know very little about art. Blaze, however, also studied Art and Art History at Shiz University. I thought perhaps I might prevail upon him to give you all a more detailed guide through the gallery?" she suggested.

Blaze nodded. "I'd be happy to if anyone is interested," he agreed.

Nessa accepted immediately, Link closely following. Galinda joined them, either out of an interest in the art or to be with Link, Elphaba couldn't tell. Boq trailed out of the room after them a moment later, but Elphaba felt rooted to the spot, so she remained seated. And Fiyero stayed with her, because of course he did.

Mrs Stengel turned to her and Fiyero expectantly.

"You have no interest in art, Miss Elphaba?"

Elphaba felt slightly sick and she was gripping Fiyero's hand so tightly she couldn't feel her own hand anymore.

"Mrs Stengel, could I ask you something?" she blurted out. "About Alivia?"

"Certainly."

"Did she love Blaze? Her husband?" Elphaba asked. "She _did_ marry him to protect her family, didn't she? Once her father died?"

Mrs Stengel smiled, to Elphaba's surprise.

"She did," she confirmed. "She was always very open about _that._ But aside from leaving Kole behind, it wasn't quite the sacrifice I think you're imagining, Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba exchanged a glance with Fiyero, and Mrs Stengel elaborated.

"My grandparents- for all intents and purposes- were old family friends, Miss Elphaba," she explained. "Their parents ran in the same circles, and they certainly would have preferred Alivia and Blaze marry. Alivia's family and friends did not approve of Kole Ingram."

"We kind of figured," Fiyero nodded sagely and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Mrs Stengel chuckled. "She didn't love him when she married him, this is true. But Blaze was in love with her and had a great love for her family. It's why he offered to marry her once her father died. I think after losing my grandmother and taking in my mother, that's what changed for Alivia. They were determined to do what was best for my mother and everything else between them had to be put aside."

Elphaba hesitated. "The letters referred to an incident with Blaze and Kole…"

Mrs Stengel nodded. "Alivia brought Kole to meet her friends and family, and they treated him quite horrendibly. Blaze came to a garden party hosted by Alivia's family, and told Kole that marriage between himself and Alivia was all but certain. That he could provide Alivia with a better life than Kole could. Kole left in anger."

"And he never went back to Shiz," Fiyero said to Elphaba softly.

She nodded.

"They never had children of their own?" Fiyero asked Mrs Stengel.

"No. Blaze had typhoid as a teenager and was left unable to have children," Mrs Stengel explained.

Elphaba leaned forward slightly, her shoulders easing. "What were they like?" she asked eagerly. "This is the first chance we've had to speak with anyone who _knew_ them," she explained.

Mrs Stengel leaned back into her seat with a smile, pouring them all fresh cups of tea.

"Blaze, Grandpop as we called him, was… full of boundless energy. He was warm and wonderful, and he always had time for us children. And Nanna was the gentlest person you can imagine. My mother always said it was the biggest tragedy that she never had children."

"But she was happy?" Elphaba pressed.

Mrs Stengel nodded. "I believe so, yes."

She rose to her feet. "Will you both excuse me? I'll return in a moment," she promised.

Elphaba and Fiyero nodded.

As the door closed behind her, Elphaba let out a breath and leaned back in her seat, turning her head towards Fiyero as he played with her fingers.

"You ok?" he asked her softly.

Elphaba paused. "I'm just… I can't even describe it."

"Happy?" Fiyero suggested.

She smiled. "That'll do for now."

When Mrs Stengel returned, she was carrying a small wooden box.

"These are some mementos of my grandmother's," she explained, resuming her seat. "My mother kept them after her death, and I took them when she passed."

Mrs Stengel drew out an aged envelope from within the box.

"My mother told me the story of Alivia and Kole after my father died. She knew that one day the art collection would go to me, and she wanted me to understand just what I would inherit. And to understand that it's so much more than art. I think you may be interested in seeing this."

She handed the envelope to Elphaba, who's heart fluttered as she immediately recognised Kole's handwriting on the outside.

The letter inside was dated March of 1838. After, Elphaba realised, Alivia had married Blaze. She carefully opened the letter and began to read, Fiyero peering over her shoulder.

" _Dear Alivia,_

 _I saw your wedding announcement in "The Oracle."_

 _I always knew you'd be the most beautiful bride. I pictured it more times than I can admit. I just always pictured myself as the groom._

 _I'm sorry. This letter is not intended to make you feel bad._

 _This letter is tell you that it's ok, Ali. I don't think I expressed it well when we parted, but I need you to know that I understand. I was upset, yes, but I do understand your choice. I admire it even._

 _Family comes first, Bibi always said. I know that you'd never forgive yourself if you hadn't gone home. Blaze- I can't say I like him much, but I know he'll treat you well. And he was right- he'll be able to give you a much better life than I could. I know you'll say that's not important, but it is to me._

 _If I can't be with you, I want to know that you'll be taken care of._

 _Ali, all I want is for you to be happy. I hope you'll let yourself be happy. It's why I'm writing this letter. That, and to say goodbye._

 _I do genuinely want you to be happy. I want you to have a full, wonderful life, with love and a family. But I know you'll understand that I just can't watch that happen without me. I'm not that selfless._

 _I love you, eshgham. I always will. Until the end of time._

 _Kole."_

Elphaba finished reading before Fiyero, handing him the letter so he could keep reading.

"Do you know how they met?" she asked Mrs Stengel. "We don't know anything about the beginning of their relationship."

"They met at a philosophy lecture on campus, I believe," Mrs Stengel replied. "Then Kole invited her to a showcase of student art, where some of his work was featured."

"And the 'King' nickname? Do you know where that came from?"

"I'm not sure," Mrs Stengel apologised. "I didn't know about that until today, I must confess. May I ask, once you found the letters, what made you all decide to track down the story?"

Elphaba hesitated. She glanced at Fiyero and found him watching her with an odd expression she couldn't define, but the intensity in his eyes made her stomach flip. She narrowed her eyes quizzically, but he merely shook his head slightly, handing the final letter back to her.

"Um," she said weakly, turning back to Mrs Stengel. "I'm not sure exactly. Curiosity?"

"Elphaba studies History," Fiyero explained.

Mrs Stengel nodded and Elphaba averted her gaze, placing the letter back in the envelope and handing it back to Mrs Stengel.

"Why don't we join the others?" Mrs Stengel suggested.

Elphaba and Fiyero agreed and the three of them returned to the gallery. Nessa and Blaze were deep in conversation in front of one painting; while Link and Galinda talked quietly at the other end of the room. Or rather, Link was talking while Galinda stared up at him dreamily. Boq was frowning at one painting thoughtfully.

Elphaba left Fiyero and Mrs Stengel to approach her sister, smiling apologetically as she and Blaze looked up.

"Sorry to interrupt," she apologised. "I was just wondering about one particular painting?"

Blaze smiled. "Of course," he agreed.

Elphaba led him over to the smaller painting, the one with the figures in the bubble.

"I don't know much about art- actually, I don't know anything about art," Elphaba amended, making Blaze chuckle. "But this one appears different to me than all the others. Like it doesn't fit."

Blaze nodded approvingly. "You're right."

He went on a spiel about the techniques and brushwork in the painting, and how they differed from all the others. It was gibberish to Elphaba's ears, but she nodded along patiently until he paused for breath.

"Why would it be different than the others?" she asked him.

"This was actually one of Ingram's earliest work," Blaze explained. "This is the piece that was the start of the collection."

"This was the first piece Alivia bought?"

Blaze smiled. "Actually, it was a gift. From her husband."

Elphaba's eyes widened, and she turned away from Blaze.

"Galinda!" she called out.

Galinda waved vaguely in her direction but didn't look away from Link. Elphaba sighed irritably.

" _Galinda._ You're going to want to hear this," she said forcefully.

She practically heard the sigh Galinda heaved from across the room, but she came over, pulling Link along with her.

" _What?"_

Elphaba gestured to the painting. "This was the first piece of the collection. _Blaze_ bought it for Alivia."

Galinda gasped. _"What?"_

Blaze laughed slightly as the others made their way over.

"It was a gift for their five-year wedding anniversary," he explained.

Fiyero looked sceptical. "Did he _see_ the painting before buying it?"

Blaze looked puzzled, and Elphaba quickly explained about the letters and the reference to the bubble.

"I'm not sure if he knew the significance," Blaze allowed when she finished, glancing to his mother. "But he knew that Alivia loved Kole when he married her."

Nessa wheeled herself forward to look at the painting more closely. "Look at the brushwork!" she remarked.

Blaze nodded eagerly and the two were lost in a conversation about techniques made no sense to the rest of them.

Mrs Stengel turned to Elphaba.

"Miss Elphaba, Fiyero tells me that you're writing a book about the letters."

Elphaba turned to Fiyero, torn between glaring at him for telling Mrs Stengel about the book, and not at all surprised he had convinced her to drop his title and refer to him by name.

"She's a brilliant writer," he told Mrs Stengel, ignoring Elphaba's pointed gaze.

Elphaba's face heated. "You're biased. Shut up," she hissed to him and he only grinned at her, wandering off towards Boq.

"No one's ever going to read it," she reassured Mrs Stengel.

"Well, that sounds like a shame," Mrs Stengel said quietly. "I'd quite like to read it."

Elphaba wasn't sure how to respond. "You- you don't mind me writing about this?"

Mrs Stengel smiled warmly. "Actually, I quite like the idea."

They ended up staying for dinner, at Mrs Stengel's invitation. They met Mrs Stengel's husband, children and grandchildren, who were all very welcoming. It turned out her husband was a retired research historian, and he was very impressed at how they had tracked them down from really just one name on an old envelope.

"It was pretty much all Elphie," Galinda told him proudly.

"No," Elphaba protested immediately. "No, it wasn't. It was a group effort. And we couldn't have done it without Link."

"Still," Mr Stengel smiled. "It's very impressive."

Mrs Stengel invited Elphaba to return before they left for Shiz to discuss her book in more depth.

"I'll see you on Wednesday," she said to Elphaba as they were leaving.

"I'll bring all the letters and notes to show you," Elphaba promised. "And really, if you don't want me to write it, I won't."

Mrs Stengel laughed. "Miss Elphaba, you found something in a few old letters that you think is worth writing about. I never knew Kole Ingram, but I think Alivia would be thrillified."

She squeezed Elphaba's arm lightly. "She eventually fell in love with Blaze. But Kole was the love of her life and I don't think she ever stopped loving him. She'd be pleased to know there was life to their story beyond them."

"Even though they didn't end up together?"

Mrs Stengel looked thoughtful. "Maybe _because_ they didn't end up together," she replied.

 **AN. So we all know art isn't my thing. But what I love about Canva (the site I make all the review quotes on) is that it helps me pretend I'm artistic. Anyway, the point is that I made a mock up of the bubble painting. Not in the right style of art, and it's not exactly what I was picturing, but it's close enough. If anyone is interested in seeing it, I can post it on my socials.**

 **We're nearing the end now. 3 more chapters.**


	36. Chapter 36

**AN. I hope everyone had a thrillifying Wicked Day!**

 **Chapter 36**

Nessarose wheeled her way into the parlour where Fiyero was lounging around reading the newspaper.

"Galinda says lunch is almost ready," she told him.

"Ok," he replied, glancing up. "Fae's not back yet?"

"No," Nessa shook her head. "But I'm not surprised."

"Yeah," Fiyero agreed. "The longer she's at Rosewood, the more party prep she avoids."

Nessa rolled her eyes. "Not what I meant," she said, but the corner of her mouth twitched.

Galinda had started to put them all to work in the days leading up to the party, and the closer the party came, the more work there was and the more irritable she became. But she might have had other reasons for being unhappy that morning.

As they had sat around talking the night before, Elphaba had regarded them all solemnly.

"I think we should give Mrs Stengel the letters."

Galinda gaped at her. "What? _Why?"_

"Because I think she has more right to them than we do," Elphaba said simply. "I mean, Alivia was her grandmother."

" _Adoptive_ grandmother," Galinda muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Elphaba regarded her sternly. "Galinda."

"I think Fae's right," Fiyero spoke up.

Galinda's eyes narrowed in his direction. "Of _course_ you do."

" _Galinda,"_ Elphaba and Fiyero said in unison.

"Galinda, Elphaba is right," Nessa said to her gently. "It's her family history, adoptive or none. They have Kole's artwork and his last letter. Shouldn't all the letters be together?"

Galinda pouted.

"What about your book?" she asked Elphaba. "Don't you need them for that?"

"I've transcribed them all in my notes," Elphaba replied. "So, no. I don't."

"Let's take a vote," Fiyero suggested. "All in favour of giving Mrs Stengel the letters?"

Elphaba, Fiyero and Nessa rose their hands immediately, Boq following suit silently. Galinda thrust out her chin stubbornly, until Link raised his own hand, with a rather apologetic glance in her direction.

Then she sighed heavily. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "We'll give them the letters."

But that didn't mean she was happy about it.

Over lunch, Galinda went over her list of what still had to be done for the party.

"I'm finalising the menu with Momsie," she said. "Link, can you and Boq please go into town and picked up the decorations I've ordered? There's a few boxes, I'll give you a list to check it's all there. Nessa, can you put together the gift bags for all the guests? Make Fiyero help you."

"Whoa," Fiyero protested. "' _Make Fiyero help you'?_ What does _that_ mean? I can help."

She raised an eyebrow. "I asked you this morning to help me with something. You said you just had to go to the bathroom and then never came back."

"Oh yeah," Fiyero recalled.

"Help Nessa," Galinda ordered him. "Or I'll tell Elphie when she gets back."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Galinda, we aren't six. You can't tattle on me to my girlfriend," he frowned at her, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet.

Galinda chose not to mention that Elphaba had asked her to keep Fiyero busy while she was gone.

"He's been weirdly quiet since Monday," she said as she pulled on her outerwear to leave. "He hasn't told me why yet."

"So, why am I keeping him busy?" Galinda asked.

Elphaba sighed. "I think he's processing _something,_ but I don't know what. He may as well do something productive while he's processing, right?"

Fiyero and Nessa set up in the drawing room after lunch with all the things for the gift bags. Nessa handed him a stack of gift bags and pictures of clocks.

"Can you paste a clock on to each bag?"

"I am renowned for my pasting skills," Fiyero agreed with a grin. "It was the first 'A' I ever got in school. I had such promise back then," he said wistfully.

Nessa giggled.

"Surely it wasn't all downhill from there?" she asked him.

"It was downhill when I realised I had fifteen more years of this and you got less recess every year," Fiyero said darkly.

Nessa frowned. "Isn't more than fifteen for you? With all the schools?"

"Yes, my father enjoys pointing out the irony," Fiyero rolled his eyes.

Nessa giggled again. "Are you looking forward to the party?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Sure. I think I'd prefer something quieter though."

Nessa bit back a smile.

"What?" he asked, a little defensively.

"Nothing," Nessa reassured him. "It's just times like this I realise how much you've changed since you've been with Elphaba."

Fiyero couldn't argue with that. "What about you? Is New Year's big in the Thropp house?"

Nessa shrugged. "Not really. Sometimes Ima and Papa will go out if a friend is having a party. I like to stay up until midnight, but I've never really festivated. Elphaba's never really seen the point in it. If she stays up until midnight, it's because she's writing or reading and lost track of time."

"That sounds like Fae," Fiyero grinned.

They worked in silence for a while, and then Nessa looked up thoughtfully.

"How much longer do you think Fabala will be? I mean, she hasn't written that much of the book, has she? How much can there be to talk about?"

"I haven't seen much of it," Fiyero allowed. "I think it's mostly notes still. She was up until at least one last night making a list of questions for Mrs Stengel. Every time she turned off the light she'd think of another one."

Nessa nodded knowingly. "That sounds exhausting."

"It didn't bother me so much. I went to sleep at one," Fiyero shrugged. "I don't know what time she eventually went to sleep."

"I did think she seemed crabbier this morning than usual," Nessa noted.

Fiyero grinned. "Yeah," he said with fondness. "Anyway, she's still working out how she wants to write the story."

"Like a novel or a biography?"

"Yeah. And if she does a novel, how accurate does she make it?"

Nessa's eyes widened. "She could give Alivia and Kole the happy ending they never got?" she breathed excitedly.

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. But then she's wondering if that's disrespectful to their families. Kole's kids and grandkids and whatnot."

"But she says no one's ever going to read it? So, what does it matter?"

"Because it's your sister, and it all matters to her," Fiyero said with a soft smile.

Nessa paused in the middle of putting small vials of confetti into the bags Fiyero had pasted clocks on.

"I can't stop thinking about Kole's last letter," she said quietly.

"Yeah."

She shook her head faintly and reached for another bag. "I just can't imagine what it would have been like for him to _write_ it. I mean, if I was in love with someone I couldn't be with, I think I'd still want to be in their life. Wouldn't it be better to be their friend than nothing at all?"

"Nah, I get it," Fiyero said easily.

"You do?"

"Sure," he nodded. "I mean, the idea of not being with Fae and not having her in my life… sucks. To put it lightly. But the idea of her marrying someone else? And I'd just have to watch her be happy with someone else? As just her friend? That would kill me."

Nessa started to say something and then stopped. When Fiyero glanced up at her, she was looking past him. Fiyero turned to see Elphaba and Galinda standing in the open doorway. He wasn't sure exactly how long they'd been standing there, but the soft look on Elphaba's face told him that she'd heard enough.

Before he could say anything, Elphaba turned to Galinda. "Can I steal him?"

Galinda nodded, looking a little teary. "Yeah."

Elphaba turned to Fiyero and outstretched her hand to him slightly. Fiyero wasted no time surrendering the bottle of paste to Nessarose and getting up from his seat.

When he reached Elphaba, she rested her hands on his upper arms and looked up at him solemnly, while his hands slipped around her hips.

"Is this why you've been quiet since Monday?" she asked him quietly, softly rubbing her thumbs across his arms.

Fiyero shrugged. "Yeah," he admitted.

Elphaba leaned up and kissed him softly and Fiyero held her tighter as he deepened the kiss.

"Oh Oz, _please_ don't do that in the doorway," Galinda's voice cut in. "I gave you guys a perfectly good bedroom while you're here, use it."

Elphaba rolled her eyes as she pulled away from Fiyero, who merely chuckled and led her away upstairs to their room.

He sat on the bed and drew her close to him, gently brushing her hair behind her ear as he cupped her face in his hands.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Elphaba asked him quietly.

"Because I'm choosing to believe that it's not anything I'll ever have to worry about," Fiyero replied. "And you're pessimistic enough without me bringing it up."

"Not pessimistic," Elphaba protested. "Just… realistic."

"Eh, pot-tay-to, pot-tah-to," Fiyero shrugged dismissively, kissing her.

"I hate that phrase," Elphaba grumbled. _"No one_ pronounces it _pot-tah-to."_

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Fae, shush," he ordered, deepening the kiss.

Elphaba obediently shushed. At least for the next half an hour.

"This is probably not what Galinda meant when she said to make use of the room," she said breathlessly, looking over at Fiyero as he rolled off of her.

Fiyero laughed. "Probably not," he agreed, pulling her close and brushing her damp hair off her sweaty neck.

"So much better than party prep though."

Elphaba snorted, and then kissed him slowly. "Just so you know," she murmured solemnly. "The thought of being without you kills me too."

Fiyero caught her hand in his and kissed her palm softly, and then the inside of her wrist before entwining their fingers and resting their hands atop of the covers.

"I know that you kind of identify with Kole," he told her. "And I'm not going to argue with you about all the reasons why you're wrong about that. Even though I _could_."

Elphaba smiled faintly.

"It's just until Mrs Stengel showed us that last letter, I never thought about what it would mean if we broke up," he continued. "I'd never thought about how there being no _us,_ would mean that eventually you'd be with someone else. And it felt like I'd been kicked in the gut."

Elphaba recalled the odd look he'd given her after reading the letter at Rosewood and suddenly felt like she could have cried.

"I love you so much," she whispered.

Fiyero leaned over and kissed her. "I love you too, angel."

Elphaba nestled closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"How did it go today?" he asked her, the thought just occurring to him.

Elphaba paused for a moment. "Um, okay, I think," she said slowly.

"Sounds convincing," Fiyero teased her.

"We talked a lot. About Alivia and Kole, and Blaze. What she remembered about what she and Blaze were like together. She had so many stories about Blaze, and what he was like as a grandfather. He sounds like he was a really nice guy. Mrs Stengel adored him."

Fiyero chuckled. "Who would have guessed that from the letters, right?"

Elphaba scowled lightly. "I _should_ have known," she said darkly. "I can't believe we were looking for information for months, and I didn't even consider the bias in the letters as a historical source. I've _studied_ history. Why didn't I think about that? Kole and Alivia were _hardly_ going to talk about what a nice guy Blaze was, were they?"

Fiyero understood that one.

"Angel, this happened a hundred years ago. We've always known we wouldn't know everything," he reminded her.

Elphaba sighed. "I guess. I just feel bad. And a little dumb."

He kissed her temple lightly. "You're hardly dumb, Fae."

She nestled closer to him, smiling faintly. "We also talked about the bubble painting. I ended up telling her the whole story. About us."

Fiyero grinned. " _That's_ a good story. Definishly worth talking about a hundred years from now, I think."

Elphaba laughed. "It came up while we were talking about the book."

"What did you decide about the book?"

"It'll be a novel," Elphaba replied. "And I think I feel okay about taking some artistic license with the parts of the story that we still don't know. I'm still not sure if I'll use their real names or not though."

"And the ending?"

"If I change the names, it's not going to matter if I change the ending," Elphaba said practically. "But I don't know. The other thing to consider is that it's really going to be a romance novel; which typically _do_ have happy endings, which would be Alivia and Kole getting to live happily ever after. It's one of the rules of the genre. I mean, you can make the argument that rules are made to be broken, but that doesn't really help me make a decision, does it? Yero?"

"You lost me back at 'romance novel'," Fiyero admitted.

Elphaba laughed. "How exactly did I lose you?"

He grinned at her. "Just thinking that if you need inspiration, I can probably help with that."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

They entered the dining room that night just as dinner was being served.

"Oh, yum," Fiyero said cheerfully, sliding into his seat. "Mashed pot-tah-to."

Elphaba, taking the seat across the table from him, just glared at him. The others all looked to him in total confusion.

"Ignore him," she told Nessa, as her sister looked to her for explanation. "Pass the salt, please."

On New Year's Eve they were all put to work with final preparations for the party, before Galinda sent them all off to get ready at six o'clock, before the guests arrived at seven.

Fiyero, Boq and Link had all been tasked with helping the staff move furniture around and bring in extra chairs for people to sit down.

"I don't recall manual labour being mentioned when the invitation was issued," Fiyero grumbled as he entered the bedroom to get ready.

Elphaba laughed from where she was sitting at the vanity in her robe, drying her hair after her shower.

"Of course not. You wouldn't have come," she replied.

Fiyero chuckled and kissed the top of her head lightly. "Glin's lucky she's your second-best friend."

Elphaba rolled her eyes as he planted a kiss on her temple, cheek and then neck.

"I'm gonna go shower," he said.

"Ok," Elphaba replied, lifting her head to his and kissing him on the lips. "But I make no promises that I left you any hot water," she said unapologetically.

Fiyero merely sighed as he headed for the bathroom.

While he was in the shower, Elphaba finished drying her hair and pulled one side back, applying a little makeup before putting on her dress. As she put in her earrings, there was a knock on the door.

"I need your help," Galinda burst out when Elphaba opened the door.

"Why? What's going on?"

"My heel broke!" Galinda said, almost in tears.

Elphaba stared at her blankly. "Galinda, I sew. I'm not a cobbler," she reminded her. "What do you expect me to do about a broken shoe?"

"Elphie, if I can't fix it, I have to choose new shoes to wear. And if the heels don't go with my dress, I have to choose new accessories. I'm going to need your help for this!"

As she'd spent an hour with Galinda the night before after dinner helping her choose her original outfit, Elphaba was in no rush to go through that again.

"Ok, let me come have a look," she sighed. "Do you have a sewing kit? Some glue? Maybe we can stick it back together."

"I sent the maid for one," Galinda waved a hand. "She said she'll- _oh!"_

As Galinda's eyes widened, Elphaba looked over her shoulder to see Fiyero stepping out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist.

Rolling her eyes, Elphaba hastily pushed Galinda back from the doorway and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her quickly.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing Galinda's arm and heading towards the blonde's room.

Galinda was still wide-eyed as she stared at Elphaba.

"Oh my _Oz_ , you're so lucky," she muttered.

Elphaba blushed furiously but said nothing.

As she inspected Galinda's broken shoe, Elphaba could feel Galinda's eyes on her.

"Galinda, stop it!" she said finally.

Galinda looked at her innocently. "What?"

"Stop thinking about my boyfriend naked," Elphaba ordered her. "You have your own boyfriend."

"That doesn't mean I'm blind, _Elphie_ ," Galinda rolled her eyes. "I mean, come on. He's _gorgeous."_

Elphaba blushed even more darkly. "I'm aware. Alright, I think we can fix this."

Once Galinda's crisis was contained, Elphaba left her to finish getting ready. Elphaba only had to put her shoes on, but instead of going back to the room to get them, she slipped downstairs to check on Nessa.

"Hey," she greeted her sister. "Do you need anything?"

Nessa smiled and shook her head as she brushed her hair. "I'm all set. You look nice, Fabala. You will be wearing shoes though, yes?"

Elphaba laughed as she looked down at her bare feet. "I'd be a lot more comfortable if I could go like this, but yes."

"You're not excited about this?"

Elphaba sighed tiredly. "New Year's Eve is the most exhausting night," she complained. "By the time people arrive, midnight is still five hours away. What do we do for _five_ hours? And then it's midnight, and then there's the question of how soon after midnight can you leave and go to bed?"

Nessa couldn't help but laugh at her sister. "You're not going to hide away with a book, are you?"

Elphaba grinned. "Not right away at least," she said and then left the room.

Galinda certainly knew how to plan a party. The house looked beautiful, the food was great. The guests were all friends of the Upland family, including the friends that Galinda had grown up with. Elphaba had to smile as Galinda made sure to introduce Elphaba to all of them as her best friend, staring pointedly at anyone who were "the Pfannees and Shen-Shens of the world" as Elphaba described them.

She made it until ten o'clock before Elphaba reached her limit and slipped away to sit in the window seat at the top of the stairs. She could still hear everything happening downstairs, but none of the party-goers came upstairs and she could find a little more peace and quiet without being accused of being unsociable. She kicked off her heels and curled up, staring out the window dreamily as snow fell.

" _There_ you are," Fiyero said half an hour later, climbing the stairs.

Elphaba smiled tiredly, taking the glass he handed her. "You found me."

"I got stuck talking to some old lady," Fiyero complained, sitting next to her. "Came back from the bathroom and got roped into a rant about why the monarchy is useless and the Vinkus should get rid of it like every other province in Oz had the sense to; and did I have _any_ useful skills I could use to make an honest living?"

Elphaba laughed. "What did you say?"

"I said royal protocol stated that I wasn't allowed to comment on such things, in case I gave people ideas," Fiyero grinned. "Then I left and came looking for you. But look, I swiped two gift bags," he added, handing her a bag.

Elphaba peeked inside and placed it on the seat between them. "Thanks."

Fiyero stretched his legs out onto the seat beside her, taking her bare feet into his hands and massaging them lightly.

"You reached your people limit?" he guessed.

"I've reached my limit of pretending to ignore people pretending not to stare," Elphaba said with a faint smile. "But, yes. I'd be quite happy to disappear now and not see anyone for a week."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "I could arrange that?" he suggested.

Elphaba laughed. "We go back to school in a few days," she reminded him. "It's fine, really. I just may hide up here until midnight."

Fiyero smiled softly. "Next year, we'll do it differently," he promised her.

"How?"

He shrugged, still massaging her feet. "You, me and the Emerald City?" he suggested. "No one else."

"That sounds perfect," Elphaba said contentedly, relaxing under his touch.

Below them the murmur of voices, mixed with the faint sounds of music coming from the ballroom and the clinking of glasses created an odd symphony that Elphaba was quite content to listen to, and not be a part of.

Feeling fatigue begin to creep over her like a warm blanket, Elphaba rustled through the gift bag and pulled out the chocolates she knew were inside. She handed one to Fiyero, who unwrapped his immediately and popped it into his mouth.

"So," he said. "New Year's resolution."

"I don't do them," Elphaba replied immediately, not surprising Fiyero in the least.

"Only eight percent of people actually accomplish their New Year's resolution, and eighty percent of the people who fail give up by February," she told him.

"That's only _twelve_ percent of people who make it past February and still end up giving up."

Fiyero grinned at her. "It does not surprise me that you know this."

Elphaba chuckled. "I'm doing a story on them for the _Gazette_ when we go back to school."

"To guilt people into keeping them, or to not bother making them?" Fiyero asked.

She laughed. "I guess we'll find out when the article comes out, won't we?"

"So, you've never made a resolution?"

Elphaba wrinkled her nose. "No. I mean, I like to have goals for the year… things I want to accomplish, but no. I wouldn't call them resolutions."

"What was your goal this year? Last year?" Fiyero asked, frowning as he tried to think over the correct tense to use.

Elphaba grimaced. "To finish writing my book," she said wryly. "That one worked out well, huh?"

Fiyero's face softened. "Sorry, Fae."

She shrugged and stared out the window distantly. It was still snowing, and the deserted grounds looked still and peaceful in the darkness.

"What's your resolution?" she asked him.

"Actually, I'm not making one this year," Fiyero replied nonchalantly.

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "Resolutions are all about changing something in your life to try and make things better. But I don't need to change anything this year. I have you, what more do I need?"

Elphaba leaned over to kiss him sweetly. "I love you."

Fiyero drew her over onto his lap, slipping his hands beneath her dress to hook around the back of her knees.

"I love you too," he said softly.

He paused, rubbing circles on her legs. "Want to steal a bottle of wine and sneak away until it's midnight?" he suggested.

She grinned. "Oz, yes."

 **AN. I really do hate the pot-** tah **-toe thing. But _Let's Call the Whole Thing Off_ (the song where it came from) is so catchy.**

 **This story was supposed to be only 37 chapters. But something in this chapter happened that made me think "crap. I need one more." And I'm not telling you what it is! You'll find out next Tuesday when the _final_ chapter goes up. **

**Also, I'm going to apologise in advance for Saturday's chapter. I'm seeing Taylor Swift the night before, so I will still be riding the reputation tour high!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

For their one-year anniversary in February, Fiyero had taken it upon himself to plan something special for the occasion. He refused to tell Elphaba anything, only that she should "dress nice".

"I _always_ dress nice. Even if Galinda complains that everything I wear is a season behind," Elphaba retorted. "And you _do_ realise that 'nice' isn't a dress code, yes?"

Fiyero sighed. _"Fine."_

Reluctantly, Fiyero let Galinda in on some of his plans and left her in charge of Elphaba's wardrobe for the night. Galinda was thrillified to be in the know and was rather frustrated at Elphaba's nonchalant attitude towards the night.

"Don't you want to know what he has planned?" she demanded. "You _hate_ surprises. Why don't you want to know?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes as she packed her bag to spend the night in Fiyero's room. "Galinda, this semester Fiyero's already felt the need to festivate the anniversary of the day he came to Shiz and we met; the anniversary of the day I interviewed him for the paper; and Valentine's Day," she pointed out.

He'd also completely spoiled her in an effort to distract her from the one-year anniversary of losing her book. It hadn't worked, but Elphaba was very appreciative of his efforts.

"I'm not sure any of those needed to be festivated, but nothing was a disaster. I trust him."

Elphaba felt that was a testament to how far she'd come in the past year, that she wasn't worried about whatever Fiyero had planned. Galinda clearly disagreed.

Elphaba placed the dress Galinda had picked for her to wear the following night on the top of her bag and closed it.

"Make sure you hang the dress up as soon as you get to Fiyero's room," Galinda warned her. "Or it'll wrinkle."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, I _know._ Relax, will you? I'll see you on Monday."

Galinda nodded. "Fine. I want to hear about _everything_ he plans though," she said. "Take notes."

"Take notes?"

"What? You're a reporter. _And_ a nerd. You take very detailed notes," Galinda reassured her.

Elphaba frowned, tilting her head. "I'm going to assume that's a compliment. See you on Monday," she said and left.

When she told Fiyero, he laughed.

"You _are_ a nerd," he nodded. "It's one of the things I love most about you."

"Again, thank you?" Elphaba replied, hanging up her dress in the closet.

Fiyero leaned over and kissed her. "You're welcome, angel."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, shutting the closet door and sitting on the bed. "So, not to interfere with your grand plans to surprise me tomorrow, but do we need to be anywhere at a certain time tomorrow?"

"Er, no. Not really."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you insist that it would be so much easier for me to stay here tonight?"

Fiyero shrugged, sitting down next to her. "It _is_ easier. I like sleeping next to you."

Elphaba smiled. "I like sleeping next to you too."

"Besides," he grinned. "I think I'd like to establish morning sex as an anniversary tradition."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You want to establish that as a tradition every morning, regardless of any anniversary."

"This is true," Fiyero agreed.

When Elphaba woke up the next morning, the bed beside her was empty. Apparently, the rule about not leaving the bed when one was sleeping, only applied to her.

She rolled over with a yawn, squinting blearily at the alarm clock. It was only just past seven o'clock, which was way too early for Fiyero to be up on a Sunday morning. She sat up slowly, pushing her hair back and tiredly rubbing her eyes. She pulled on Fiyero's robe and got out of bed in search of Fiyero. The suite was empty, much to her bewilderment.

Stifling a yawn, she curled up on the couch and rested her head on the couch pillow, her eyes drifting shut. When the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed through the darkness, she wrenched her eyes open and jerked her head up.

"Hey," Fiyero greeted her softly, his arms full of flowers and bags. "What are you doing sleeping out here?"

"I woke up and you were gone," Elphaba explained tiredly, sitting up. "Where were you?"

Fiyero kicked the door shut, grimacing apologetically. "Sorry. I thought I'd be back before you woke up. There was a surprisingly long line at the florist for a Sunday morning. Or any morning, really."

He came over to the couch, set down a bag and two coffee cups on the coffee table and handed her the bouquet of roses in his arms.

Elphaba's face softened as she took them, breathing in their perfume with a small smile.

"Yero… they're beautiful. Thank you, hon."

Fiyero leaned over and kissed her. "Happy anniversary, angel," he murmured.

"Happy anniversary," she said softly. "You could have woken me, you know. That rule works both ways."

"You looked too peaceful to wake," Fiyero replied simply. "And I really thought I'd be back quickly."

He grabbed the bag from the coffee table. "Breakfast? Coffee?"

Elphaba shook her head and kissed him, winding her arms around his neck. "Later," she murmured.

Fiyero grinned and deepened the kiss, moving the bag of food and flowers aside and scooping her into his arms.

"You have such good ideas."

Elphaba laughed as he carried her back to bed.

They had originally planned to exchange gifts over dinner that night, but Fiyero didn't even make it until noon before he got impatient and pulled a wrapped package from his closet and handed it to her.

"Happy anniversary!"

It was large and flat and Elphaba looked at him in bewilderment.

"You were _not_ going to cart this over to wherever we're having dinner tonight, were you?" she asked him. "Or are we eating here?"

"Just open it," Fiyero prodded her impatiently.

Elphaba pushed back her hair and began to peel away the tape carefully. As the paper came away, a strangled gasp fell from her lips.

" _Yero,"_ she breathed. "Wha- I just- I don't understand."

Her hands trembled as she held up the painting.

"This is a copy, right?" she asked faintly. "A reproduction?"

"Uh, no. That would be a Kole Ingram original," Fiyero confirmed casually.

Elphaba stared at him with wide eyes.

" _How?!"_ she demanded.

He shrugged. "I wrote to Mrs Stengel, and then I arranged it with my art guy."

Elphaba's eyes got even wider somehow.

"Ok, my parents' art guy," he amended.

He took her hand gently. "Fae, we're one of the _only people in Oz_ who know what this painting means. And it means something to us. Mrs Stengel agreed that we should have it."

" _Have it?"_

"I bought it," Fiyero reassured her quickly.

Elphaba's head spun dizzily. "Yero, that sounds really expensive…"

"Actually, I got it for a pretty good price," Fiyero said. "Or, what I'm told is a pretty good price."

"Can they do that? Just _sell_ parts of the collection?"

"Mrs Stengel doesn't care about the money, Fae," Fiyero said softly. "If they wanted an art collection for the _money_ , they wouldn't collect Kole's work."

Elphaba raised her eyebrow slightly in surprise.

"Again, according to my parents' art guy," he shrugged.

"They could have sold it all to a gallery or museum a _dozen_ times over the years. They keep it because it means something to their family. Because of Alivia."

Elphaba stared at the painting and let out a slow breath.

"Do I want to know how much you paid? Or how much this is worth?"

"No," Fiyero replied immediately. "But know that it is not the most valuable painting in the collection. Not even close. Any value comes from the fact it's the first, not because fancy art people think it's any good. Does this help?"

Elphaba considered that carefully. "A little," she admitted. "What exactly am I supposed to do with this now? It feels _really_ wrong to just hang it up in my dorm room next to Galinda's poster of the kittens sitting in the pink sparkly shoes."

Fiyero laughed.

"I didn't think that far ahead," he admitted.

Elphaba leaned over and kissed him, caressing his stubbly jaw with her thumb.

"I love it, hon. It's… the most thoughtful, meaningful, I'm sure _ridiculously expensive_ gift I could have imagined. _Please_ don't do this for any future anniversaries," she begged him.

"I make no promises," Fiyero grinned. "Where's my gift?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and carefully put the painting on Fiyero's desk before she fetched the gift from her bag. As she returned to the bed, she looked apprehensive.

"I feel a little bad now," she confessed. "It's just… when I had the idea for this gift, I thought it was really meaningful. But after the painting…"

"It'll be fine, Fae," Fiyero reassured her, reaching for the gift and ripping off the paper.

Inside the box was a notebook, the pages of which were filled with Elphaba's handwriting.

"It's the first three chapters of the book," Elphaba explained tentatively. "Only the first draft. But I thought you might want to read it. Tell me what you think."

Fiyero's face lit up. "You want my opinion?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah. Although you can _not_ tell Galinda I let you read it, or she'll kill us both."

Fiyero laughed as he kissed her. "This is great, Fae. Seriously. I know what a big deal this is for you."

Elphaba shrugged. "I'm already sleeping with you," she pointed out. "It's not really more of a bigger deal than _that._ Plus, you've already read stuff I've written before.

"I suppose that's true," Fiyero said thoughtfully. "Speaking of which…"

He drew her into his arms and began to kiss down her neck.

"Your parents really have an art guy?" Elphaba asked him, even as her eyes fluttered shut.

Fiyero paused and drew back to look at her, one eyebrow lifting.

"Seriously?"

"I'm sorry," she laughed. "I just didn't know this. I didn't know your parents were into art."

"Yeah, Elphaba, any conversation involving my parents is a conversation for a later time," Fiyero retorted and returned his lips to her neck.

Elphaba laughed but didn't argue.

Later that night, Elphaba exited the bathroom after finishing her hair and makeup.

"Ok, I just need to put my shoes on and then I'm ready," she announced.

Fiyero smiled softly as he took her in. "You look beautiful," he murmured, kissing her cheek softly.

Elphaba beamed, straightening his tie. "You don't look so bad yourself. Are you ready to go?"

"Can we skip dinner?" Fiyero suggested.

She rolled her eyes. "No. Fiyero, this was _your_ grand plan, remember?"

"Yes, and now we know I should not make plans," Fiyero nodded.

Elphaba giggled and went to grab her shoes.

He took her to _The Peacock,_ where he'd arranged for them to be seated at the very same table where they'd sat for their first date a year ago.

"I have to admit, I'm very impressed," Elphaba said as the waiter poured them champagne and left them to peruse the menus.

Fiyero winked at her. "The night's not over yet."

As they walked back to campus after dinner, Fiyero hurried her along quickly, much to her bewilderment.

"Are we in a rush to get somewhere?" she asked him.

"Not exactly," Fiyero replied. "Hang on. Here. Stand here."

He drew her to a stop under a streetlight and turned to face her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"No, wait. Here," he said, turning her a little to the left.

Elphaba raised her eyebrow. "Ok. What's here?"

Fiyero stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips, resting his forehead against hers.

" _This_ is the spot where I kissed you for the first time," he explained quietly. "Which, technically, was a year ago _yesterday,_ I knowBut I'm still counting it for tonight."

Elphaba's face softened, sliding her arms around his neck.

"Still impressed?" he asked her.

"Very impressed," she grinned, kissing him softly. "You're setting the bar _very_ high for future anniversaries."

Fiyero grimaced. "Er, yeah. I'm never going to be able to top this," he shook his head.

Elphaba laughed and kissed him again.

When she recounted the night to Nessarose and Galinda- the parts that were appropriate to be recounted- both girls were brought to tears.

"I don't know what's more romantic," Galinda declared, wiping her eyes. "Him buying the painting or remembering the spot where you had your first kiss."

"It's the painting," Nessa said firmly. "Are you kidding me? It's _obviously_ the painting. Where is it now, Fabala?"

"Lying on the dining room table in Fiyero's suite," Elphaba replied. "I'm actually terrified to move it anywhere, because Yero won't tell me how much it's worth, but I _know_ it's worth a lot."

Nessa nodded wisely. "This is true," she said, which was not at all reassuring to Elphaba.

"Do _you_ know how much it's worth?" she asked her sister.

"Not really," Nessa confessed. "I'm not trained for appraisals. But I could guess."

Elphaba shook her head. "No, it's ok. I think I'll sleep better not knowing."

"What did you get him?" Galinda asked her.

Elphaba faltered for just a moment. "A book," she replied, averting her gaze.

Galinda frowned. "A book? For a one-year anniversary? That's not very romantic, Elphie."

"It's more romantic than it sounds," she said vaguely and changed the subject.

It took Fiyero two weeks to read the chapters Elphaba had given him, and by the time he finished, Elphaba was practically crawling out of her skin.

Late one Friday morning, she sat at her desk in the _Gazette_ office working on an article, when Fiyero suddenly appeared at her side.

"Hey," he greeted her, pulling over Boq's empty desk chair and sitting down.

"Hey," Elphaba replied, looking up. "Did you want to get lunch before class? What's going on?" she asked, noting his expression.

He grinned at her. "I finished it."

Elphaba's eyes widened and she dropped her pencil. "Oh, thank Oz. _You read so slow,"_ she stressed earnestly.

"Seriously. _How do you read so slow?!"_

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Don't rush me," he scolded her. "Come on. Do you want to know what I thought?"

Elphaba faltered and let out a breath. "Ok," she agreed. "But not here."

They went into town and sat at their usual booth in the pub, Elphaba fidgeting nervously the whole time.

"I want you to be honest," she told him firmly. "Don't hold back."

"Fae, come on," Fiyero rolled his eyes. "I can be honest."

"Yes, but I don't think you can be impartial."

He grinned unashamedly. "There is that," he agreed.

Fiyero pulled out her notebook from his bag and pushed it across the table towards her. Elphaba's eyes widened as she spotted the coloured slips of paper sticking out from the pages.

"What are these?"

"My notes," Fiyero replied.

He pointed them out to her. "So, the green ones are questions I had; the blue ones are bits I wanted more on and I thought maybe you could expand on, and the orange ones are just thoughts I had while I was reading. My commentary, so to speak."

Elphaba flicked through a few pages, and then looked up at him.

"I have never wanted you more," she said solemnly.

Fiyero grinned. "Well, hold on to that feeling and we'll come back to that tonight," he winked.

Elphaba chuckled. "Sounds good."

Fiyero reached for the menu and then paused.

"See, I was thinking sex, but you're going to want to go through all my notes, aren't you?"

Elphaba nodded brightly. "Yes," she confirmed.

Fiyero sighed. "Ok."

So that night, they lay curled up in bed as Elphaba read through Fiyero's notes on her first three chapters.

The scene where Alivia and Kole (tentatively named until she decided if she wanted to change their names or not) first met was marked with both green and blue notes.

"Something just felt missing," Fiyero said tentatively, seeing her frown over it.

"I know," she reassured him with a sigh. "I felt that too."

She stared at the page, chewing on the end of her pencil.

"We know they met at the philosophy lecture," she said slowly. "And we know that's where they met up when they ran off together. But we still don't know _where_ exactly on campus it was. And I'm having trouble picturing it, which makes it hard to write."

"So just change it," Fiyero suggested. "Make something up."

"I can't," Elphaba protested.

"Why not?"

"Because… that's not what happened!"

She sighed and scowled at her pages. "How can I get the story right if I don't know where it started?"

Fiyero regarded her for a moment and then got out of bed.

"Get dressed," he told her.

Elphaba frowned, pulling off her glasses. "What?"

"Get dressed," he urged her. "We're going out."

Elphaba glanced out the window in bewilderment. _"Now?_ Yero, it's late. And cold, and it's snowing."

"Just get dressed," Fiyero repeated.

Confusedly, Elphaba obeyed and once they were both rugged up against the cold, he led her out of Briscoe Hall and out to the courtyard.

"Where did we meet?" he asked her.

Elphaba looked at him blankly. "Here," she said, puzzled.

He shook his head. "No. Find me the spot. Where did we meet?"

Elphaba stared around the dark courtyard, shivering.

"Fiyero, I have no idea," she finally confessed.

"Me neither," Fiyero said.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Our story is no less amazing because you don't know where we started, is it?"

Elphaba tried and failed to stifle a smile.

"I see your point."

"That is not an answer, Elphaba."

She rolled her eyes. "No," she said patiently. "Our story is no less amazing because I can't remember the exact spot where we met."

Fiyero grinned and nodded. "Well, alright then."

Elphaba chuckled and moved closer to him, resting her head on his chest.

They stood in silence for awhile as the snow fell silently around them.

"I think I'm going to give them their happy ending," Elphaba finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper.

Fiyero pulled back to see her face. "Alivia and Kole? Really?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah. I think they deserve that, even if they were both pretty happy with where they ended up."

Fiyero smiled and kissed her softly. "I think that sounds like a good ending."

They turned and headed back to Briscoe Hall, hands linked.

"I think you should make Alivia and Kole meet here in the courtyard," Fiyero said. "In the book."

"Why the courtyard?"

"Well, wherever they met, that's where they agreed to meet when they eloped, right? And Kole wrote that was the spot where he used up all his luck. The courtyard was pretty lucky for us. They could borrow it."

"Hm. Should I have one of them almost run the other over?" Elphaba asked innocently, smirking faintly.

"You can't give them our _whole_ story, Fae," he replied, squeezing her hand. "But they can have the courtyard."

Elphaba smiled, her steps pausing as they neared the door to the building. She leaned up and kissed him. "You're very wise," she told him softly.

Fiyero had no idea what exactly he'd said that was so wise, but he shrugged modestly.

"I know. It's such a burden," he grinned at her. "I'm also handsome and charming. I'm irresistible. Quite frankly, I don't know how you keep your hands off me."

Elphaba laughed, kissing him deeply. "With great difficulty," she reassured him. "Can we go back to bed now?"

Fiyero held open the door to the foyer and bowed. "After you, milady."

 **AN. Taylor Swift... it rained for 90% of the show and was still the most amazing night and so worth the wait. I've never been so happy to stand in the rain for 2.5 hours. And then we went and watched a Shakespeare play this morning.**

 **See you on Tuesday for the last chapter!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Epilogue**

 _ **A year and a half later**_

Elphaba let herself into Fiyero's suite, and promptly almost tripped over a box marked _'Kitchen'._

She steadied herself against the wall and sighed impatiently.

"Yero?"

"In here," came his voice from the bedroom.

Elphaba crossed the suite, sidestepping the boxes and suitcases that scattered the room.

"Are you ready? We have to pick up our caps and gowns in the next fifteen minutes."

She stopped in the bedroom doorway, staring around exasperatedly.

"Seriously, Fiyero? You haven't even finished packing?"

"I'm almost done," Fiyero reassured her.

Elphaba looked sceptical. "You remember that your parents want to leave right after lunch, don't you? Ceremony, lunch, leave. That's the plan."

Fiyero glanced at her in the reflection of his mirror as he fiddled with his tie.

"Yeah, but you're not coming with us. So, leave the nagging to my mother, please?"

Elphaba folded her arms over her chest and looked at him pointedly. Fiyero sighed and threw the tie on the bed. Elphaba moved into the room and picked it up, sliding it around his neck.

"Yero, we talked about this," she reminded him gently. "We agreed."

"I know," Fiyero sighed again as she deftly knotted the tie into place, his fingers curving around her hips. "I know. I just hate not seeing you for months."

"One last summer," she promised.

Fiyero dipped his head to kiss her. "One last summer," he repeated.

Reluctant to be apart from one another post-graduation, and wanting to spend more time in the Vinkus, Elphaba had accepted a job with a law firm in the Greater Kells. However, she wasn't starting until the fall, wanting one last summer at home with the family in Munchkinland.

Fiyero was thrillified she would be close by, but not so thrillified to be away from her for the summer.

"Ok, tie is done," she said. "Can we go? Before I can't resist the urge to finish packing for you?"

Fiyero laughed. "Fae, I swear, I'm almost done. Look."

He grabbed a handful of clothes from the bed and threw them into an empty suitcase on the floor, making Elphaba flinch.

"See?"

She shook her head. "I need to leave," was all she said and headed for the door.

Fiyero grinned, grabbed his key and followed.

" _Finally!"_ Galinda exclaimed as they found her outside where students were picking up their caps and gowns for the graduation ceremony.

She handed them each a robe. "I convinced Dr Dillamond to let me pick up yours as well as mine," she explained. "That way you won't get stuck with one that's stained or faded."

Elphaba chuckled at the look on her friend's face.

"Thanks, Glin. Have you seen Nessa?"

"She's somewhere with Norfina, Salmythe and Vicnia," Galinda said absently, fussing with her own robe. "Boq's still in line, I think."

"You didn't get his robe?" Fiyero asked her.

"No. He was already in line," Galinda replied.

Elphaba put her robe on over her dress, frowning up at the bright blue sky.

"We're going to melt if the ceremony goes on for more than an hour," she said. "The auditorium is going to be sweltering."

"So, keep your speech short and sweet," Fiyero suggested.

Galinda was no longer paying attention to them. "I'm going to find Momsie and Popsicle before we go inside," she said. "I'll see you there."

"Ok," Elphaba replied, still frowning slightly.

Fiyero sighed. "You're going over your speech again, aren't you?"

"The last draft was better," she said. "Should I have kept that paragraph about-"

Fiyero interrupted with a groan. "Fae, come on. The speech is perfect, ok? Don't change a thing. Now, we have half an hour before the ceremony. Do you need to eat something? Should we try and find our parents?"

Elphaba agreed and they disappeared into the ever-growing crowd, hand in hand. Several family members of their fellow students glanced at them in interest as they passed, but they ignored them.

They'd been together for almost two and a half years, and the press had never quite lost interest in them. As they neared graduation, the rumour mill kicked into overdrive- the news Elphaba had accepted a job in the Vinkus _clearly_ meant an engagement was imminent, but the news that she wasn't starting for months spread whispers that the relationship was in crisis. But at this point, Elphaba and Fiyero were used to it, and very experienced at ignoring the gossip printed in the tabloids.

Before they found either of their parents, they found Ottah and Melia, who had been invited as Elphaba's guests to the ceremony, along with Nikita and Akio. Every student had been given four tickets to the ceremony for guests. Frex, Annalie and Tomaz had been given Nessa's tickets, and Fiyero had volunteered one of his spare tickets so that the girls could invited their grandparents. This was a move which had won him points with the whole Thropp family, and Lilou and Pim.

"Hey, Fabala!" Ottah greeted her. "Happy graduation! Hey, Fiyero."

"Hey," Fiyero nodded.

Elphaba smiled. "Hi. Where is everyone?"

"Around somewhere," Ottah shrugged. "Tom is already bored out of his brain."

"Me too," Fiyero agreed and Elphaba rolled her eyes at him.

Ottah grinned knowingly. "So, you're finally graduating, huh?"

"The seventh school is apparently the charm," Fiyero nodded.

"Yero, I see Papa and Anna," Elphaba interrupted. "I'll be back."

She left them chatting and made her way over to her parents. Annalie beamed at her as she approached and hugged her tightly.

"Hi, sweetheart!" she said. "How are you feeling? Are you nervous about your speech?"

"Not nervous," Elphaba replied. "Just… still not sure if it's as good as it could be."

"I'm sure it'll be wonderful," Annalie reassured her.

"We had coffee with Ibrahim and Kasmira this morning," Frex informed Elphaba. "They have some more apartment listings. You can look at them over lunch."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "Great."

The subject of her living arrangements once she moved to the Vinkus had been much discussed since she had accepted the job back in April.

Fiyero had been keen for her to live in the castle, but Elphaba insisted on keeping as much as her independence as possible, which meant having her own place to live.

"Once we get married, so much of my life isn't going to be mine," she'd said imploringly to Fiyero. "And that's a choice I'm prepared to make, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to give that up yet."

Fiyero had understood that, as had his parents. However, all their parents had their own concerns. The king and queen had come to Shiz in the beginning of May to discuss the subject with Elphaba and Fiyero, as had Frex and Annalie.

"You'll be more in the public eye once you're living in the Vinkus," Ibrahim reminded her.

"Between the press, the public and the security risks-"

"Security risks?" Elphaba repeated.

Ibrahim hesitated. "There's always the risk of kidnapping, assassinations, assaults. Now, there hasn't been an assassination of a royal in a century," he reassured her. "But it _is_ a risk."

Elphaba nodded solemnly, exchanging a glance with Fiyero.

"Unfortunately, due to protocol, the royal family can't _formally_ offer protection until an engagement is announced," Ibrahim continued.

"But Ibrahim and I would feel better knowing that once you move to the Vinkus, you're living somewhere secure," Kasmira said gently.

"As would we," Frex added firmly.

"The good news is that we can help somewhat. Under the guise that Fiyero will be spending time there," Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim and Kasmira had been searching for appropriate apartments for her ever since, keenly observed by Frex and Annalie- as best as they could from the opposite end of Oz.

They were supportive of Elphaba's decision to move to the Vinkus, but Elphaba knew they were taking it harder than they let on. Nessa was not taking it well and making no effort to pretend otherwise.

The graduation ceremony droned on for an hour and a half. Elphaba got through her speech without incident, and much to Fiyero's disappointment, no one tripped on the stage when receiving their diploma.

"Who would you _want_ to trip over?" Elphaba demanded when he whispered this to her.

Fiyero shrugged. "Shen-Shen?" he suggested. "Her shoes look ridiculous. I'm surprised she didn't trip."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched.

It had been planned for weeks that the Thropps, Tiggulars, Uplands and Underhills would all have lunch together after the ceremony to festivate the occasion. They had booked a private room above the pub in town, and the room seemed to be bursting at the seams with all their families and friends inside.

As people finished eating, Elphaba was sitting in a corner of the room with Annalie and Kasmira as the queen showed her the details and photographs of several apartments in the Greater Kells city that they thought she might like.

"This one is beautiful," Elphaba said, picking up one photo. "Is that floor to ceiling bookshelves?"

Kasmira laughed. "I did think you'd appreciate that one," she replied. "There's a lovely little reading nook."

Elphaba skimmed through the details about the apartment and her heart sank.

"It looks wonderful, but it's out of my budget."

Annalie and Kasmira exchanged a look.

"We thought you'd say that," Annalie told her. "Your father and I discussed it, and we want to help by covering the difference."

Elphaba immediately shook her head. "Anna, no," she protested. "You don't need that expense."

"Sweetie, it's not that much of an expense," Annalie reassured her. "We can afford it. We'd just be bridging the gap between your rent budget and the actual amount. You'd be paying the majority of it yourself. And honestly, Papa already suggested just buying the apartment for you."

"The building is in a very quiet, safe neighbourhood," Kasmira added. "It has a doorman, so it's secure. It's a ten-minute walk to the law firm, and I think you would really feel at home here, Elphaba. Which is important to all of us."

Elphaba looked to Annalie hesitantly, who smiled.

"Contributing a little to your rent is a much lesser expense than buying the apartment for you," she pointed out.

Elphaba bit her lip and finally agreed.

"Thank you, Ima," she said, hugging Annalie tightly. "I love you."

Annalie sniffled. "Oh, we're going to miss you Fabala," she murmured in a choked voice.

Elphaba blinked back tears. "We've still got a few months," she said.

"I know. But it's so _far."_

Elphaba pulled back with a laugh. "Anna, _you_ were planning on moving to the Vinkus after Shiz," she reminded her.

Annalie smiled sadly. "Somehow it didn't seem so far away back then."

Elphaba hugged her again and then went to find her father to thank him.

He was in a discussion with Boq's father about crop rotation when Elphaba found him. She excused herself to Mr Underhill with a polite smile before turning to her father.

"Did Anna and Kasmira show you the apartment?" he asked her before she could say anything.

"Yes," Elphaba said. "Thank you, Papa."

"We'll worry less if we know you're taken care of," Frex told her simply. "I know you'll have Ibrahim and Kasmira there, and Fiyero. But it's not quite the same."

"I know, Papa," she said gently.

Fiyero appeared at her side a moment later, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Hey, can I steal you for a few minutes? Before I leave?"

"As long as it's not to finish packing for you, yes," Elphaba agreed.

Fiyero laughed. "It's not," he promised.

They returned to campus and Fiyero led her up to his room.

Elphaba was rather distracted by all the boxes and luggage around the room, she was unable to stop herself from mentally listing everything he still had to do.

"Elphaba, ignore the packing," Fiyero told her firmly. "I swear, it'll be finished in a minute."

Elphaba grimaced. "Fine. So, what are we doing up here?"

Fiyero reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, which he handed to her. It bore her name on the front, in Fiyero's handwriting.

She stared between it and him in bewilderment. "What's this?"

"Read it," he urged her.

Elphaba sat down on the couch and opened the envelope carefully, unfolding the letter within.

 _June 12, 1937_

 _Dear Fae,_

 _Tomorrow we graduate, and I find that I'm oddly nostalgic. I'm almost sad to leave. Almost. I will not miss dealing with school._

 _I've spent a lot of time living in school dorm rooms. They're never home, they're not meant to be home. Yet this place does feel like a home, and that's all because of you. This room has so many memories that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life, and they all involve you._

 _There's so many moments I could mention. Above all though, I think my favourite is the night of the bonfire (although the night of the dance is a very close second). That night was when I realised how important you'd become to me and how much I needed you in my life. And now you_ _are_ _my life, angel._

 _My life is so much better because you're in it. And I need you to know that I am aware and appreciative of every sacrifice you have made and will make for me and this life that I don't have any hope of avoiding. I'd give it all up for you in a heartbeat if I could, but knowing I'll have you by my side through it all makes me dread it so much less._

 _I love our story, Fae. I love everything about it, and I love that Alivia and Kole became a part of it along the way._

 _Do you remember that first Valentine's Day fair? The fortune teller?_

" _There's a lesson in the past we have to learn from" she said (I'm not going into the past life thing). We've talked a lot in the last year and a half about what that lesson is, mostly about the whole bubble thing._

 _And I'm so proud of how far you've come, because I know you still fear that. You know this, I tell you this all the time, so this isn't news to you. But I need you to have it in writing._

 _I still think the lesson here for us to learn is bigger than the bubble though. I think the lesson here is no matter how a story ends, even if it doesn't end necessarily happily, it's still important. The ending doesn't take away from what the story is._

 _I firmly believe our story is far from over, angel. But I'm writing you this letter as a record that at this time, on this day, I love you more than life itself and what we have is special and important._

 _You're the love of my life, Fae. And all I hope is that one day, people know_ _our_ _story. The real story. That people know how much I love you, how much you've changed my life and changed me._

 _I love you, Fae. Until the end of time._

 _Yero._

Elphaba couldn't speak and could barely see through teary eyes by the time she finished reading. She kissed him deeply, burying her face in his neck.

Fiyero kissed her forehead before he gently took her hand and led her into the bedroom.

"Look at this."

Elphaba wiped her eyes and gasped as her blurred gaze found a hole in the floor beneath the window.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I pried loose a floorboard," Fiyero shrugged nonchalantly.

" _Why?!"_

"For the letter."

Elphaba's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? You write me… this _beautiful_ letter, and I don't get to keep it?"

Fiyero grinned. "No. Because I kind of hope in another hundred years, someone finds this letter and gets to track down our grandchildren and find out about how awesome we were."

A smile spread over Elphaba's face, even as she brushed more tears away.

"You're not worried that everyone's going to find out how sweet you are, despite the fact you pretend otherwise?" she asked teasingly.

Fiyero shrugged. "I'll be dead, so no."

She chuckled and leaned up to kiss him. "Yero, this is the sweetest thing," she said softly. "I love you."

"But?"

She laughed outright at that. "No 'buts'!" she insisted. "I think it's a beautiful idea. Except, you know that you've called me only 'Fae' and 'angel' throughout this whole letter, right?"

"Well, yeah. I'm not going to make it too easy for whoever finds this," Fiyero said as though it were obvious. "Got to give them a challenge, right?"

Elphaba bit back a smile. Reluctantly, she handed him the letter and watched as he placed it beneath the floorboard and replaced it carefully.

Fiyero tossed the last few of his things into suitcases and closed them, stacking things in the living room so they were ready to go.

"So, this is it," he said, standing with Elphaba in the middle of the suite. "End of an era."

"Yeah," she said softly.

She raised her head to look at him. "This really feels like home?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Yeah. But _you're_ my home, Fae. That's all that matters to me."

Elphaba kissed him softly.

"Should we go find the others?" he suggested.

She nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

He opened the door for her and they left the suite with their hands entwined, ready to close the first chapter of their life together, and excited to see what awaited them, as Annalie would have said, in the next epoch of their lives.

 **The End**

 **AN. And here we are. I have a few more "cut" scenes to post and there is going to be a little sequel (just a few chapters. I think I'm writing the last chapter now, but not sure yet). The title of which is still to be decided.**

 **But I wanted to thank everyone who read and reviewed. Thank you for caring about Alivia and Kole's story as much as Elphaba and Fiyero's. I loved writing this story and this universe, but you never know how stories are going to be received when you hand people characters they don't know, and never actually meet and ask them to be interested.**


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